NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The City of New Orleans Department of Public Works announced it would begin safety improvements at the intersection of Grand Route St. John Street and North White Street, as well as a phased series of updates to the bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Gentilly Boulevard – from Grand Route St. John Street to St. Bernard Avenue.
The city’s contractor Pavement Markings expects work to take approximately one week to complete – week weather permitting,
Some of the improvements will include additional striping at Grand Route St. John and North White streets to reduce speeding and improve sight distances at the intersection. The work entails narrowing the travel-lane approaches using a combination of striping and flex posts and marking “No Parking” zones.
The initial phase of the Gentilly Boulevard work will include adding bike lane enhancements, refreshed striping, new green markings, and new flex posts between Onzaga Street and St. Bernard Avenue. Parking or traffic disruptions are not anticipated during this initial phase. Notifications will be provided if disruptions occur.
The second phase of work on Gentilly Boulevard will begin once the 2022 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival concludes. This phase is expected to take two to three weeks to complete. The second phase work includes:
- Conversion of bike lanes to parking-protected bike lanes
- Lake bound from Laharpe to Onzaga streets
- River bound from St. Bernard Avenue to Trafalgar Street
- River bound from Derby to Grand Route St John streets
- High-visibility crosswalks
- Installation of a lane merge (to reduce from two travel lanes to one) river-bound between Maurepas and Grand Route St. John streets.
This project is a part of Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s Moving New Orleans Bikes initiative to provide 75 miles of a connected bikeway network across the city.
The project on Gentilly Boulevard is part of improvements planned for several corridors in the 7th Ward and surrounding neighborhoods.
