HARVEY, La. — The Harvey Tunnel will be closed for two years as it undergoes a multi-million dollar revamp. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says the decade-old tunnel needs the work.
Built in 1957, the Harvey Tunnel is getting a makeover. Our partners at Nola.com showcased these historic pictures of when the tunnel opened 66 years ago.
15,000 vehicles travel under the canal in the 1,079-foot tunnel every day.
WWL Louisiana got an exclusive drone look inside the tunnel. This project started three months ago, and workers have already removed all the original tiles.
Scott Boyle with DOTD says the tunnel has always been safe to travel through, but it needs work.
"We're at a point now where we're having to perform more maintenance on the tunnel on a more routine basis," Boyle said.
The project is expected to cost $53 million, Boyle said, "It will entail fixing the roadway surfaces, all of the tiles, the HVAC system, as well as all of the pumps within the tunnel."
The project is being funded by the state and federal government, and toll funds left over from the Crescent City Connection.
Boyle says shutting down the tunnel means the project will be completed sooner rather than later, saying, "Because we are closing both sides down and they're working on both sides at the same time, it saved us anywhere between 8 months to a year."
Drives can take alternate routes, including the elevated expressway and the Fourth Street Bridge. The Eastbound sidewas open Wednesday but it will close again next month. The westbound side will open again on Thursday and close again after the New Year, then both sides will remain closed for about two years.
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