NEW ORLEANS — If you use Esplanade Avenue to get through the Treme neighborhood, you may have noticed the road is blocked to construction.
It’s an ongoing project that’s been causing some headaches for drivers and business owners.
Owner of Li'l Dizzy's Café Arkesha Baquet says they are having to get creative to keep customers coming in.
During Carnival season, customer traffic at Li'l Dizzys Café is always boosted.
“Well Mardi Gras is early this year, the influx is happening. The excitement is going on,” Baquet said.
Baquet says what's not exciting is the road construction blocking the entrance to her restaurant.
“Everybody is not from New Orleans. They don’t understand if you go up two blocks, you can make a right and come back to the restaurant," Baquet said.
For nearly two weeks, crews with the Sewerage and Water Board have been on Esplanade working on repairing a water valve.
“It's been complicated because some of the valves that control that are broken so we have to get a temporary valve installed,” Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans General Superintendent Steve Nelson said.
On Tuesday, SWBNO put out a statement saying the road would be closed for the next three weeks as work continues.
Baquet says she was informed the water to her restaurant would be cut off Wednesday morning right in the middle of business hours.
“We can’t afford to be closed,” Baquet said.
So, instead, she spent Tuesday buying large containers to fill with water so she could open Wednesday.
“I’m trying to look at it on a positive note. I feel like it’s only being done because it’s something that needs to be done,” Baquet said. She just hopes the road will be clear sooner rather than later.
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