NEW ORLEANS — Update: One day after being exposed by WWL Louisiana, catch basins on I-10 near the Orleans/Jefferson Parish line were cleaned and cleared of massive clogs.
Catch basins that drain I-10 in New Orleans are not supposed to be broken, covered with debris, or full of mud.
But on one stretch of this vital hurricane evacuation route, from the railroad underpass to near the Orleans-Jefferson Parish line, just about every drain in the westbound lane appears to be clogged with junk.
“Because these are so occluded, it’s hard to even tell whether they are catch basins or not,” said New Orleans-based Professional Engineer H.J. Bosworth. “They are clearly not doing the job.”
Bosworth said it doesn’t look like these drains have been cleaned in quite some time.
“If the water can’t get to the pump station then it’s going to flood just like it has in the past.”
Drains along I-10 are maintained by the state Department of Transportation and Development. DOTD District Engineer Scott Boyle said they are responsible for more than 20,000 catch basins in Greater New Orleans.
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Clogged Catch Basins on Interstate
"These drains are susceptible to getting in mud, sand, grit, larger debris like water bottles plastic cups, so it’s certainly an ongoing issue,” Boyle said.
Based on our information, Boyle planned to send a DOTD crew to inspect and clean up the catch basins.
“That’s one of the lowest spots along that corridor under that railroad track, so we are mindful of that and are going to do our best to get that situation remediated as soon as possible,” Boyle said.
According to Boyle, the biggest contributors to clogged drains along the highway are garbage haulers, heading to the landfill, spilling debris out of the back of their trucks.