METAIRIE, La. — Metairie is stuck in the claws of construction. Thursday afternoon, heavy machinery buzzed through orange cones and alongside diverted traffic on Severn Avenue, a soon-to-be parade route.
Friday night, the parish will swap backhoes for floats, as the Krewe of Excalibur and the Krewe of Symphony roll. They’re two of seven krewes who will roll through Severn from now through Mardi gras day.
But the road is full of unfinished projects and unsafe conditions for parade-goers.
At Severn and Veteran’s Boulevard, unsafe areas are cordoned off. And there are still lanes closed to traffic, which the parish says will reopen Friday.
The further away from Vet’s, the less ready for revelers. Right behind the mall, near the JC Penney Parking lot, is where things get dicey.
The street corner is completely fenced off, making it impossible to cross the street without walking into the street or climbing through bushes on mall property.
Above the fenced-off area, a street light dangles from the post overhead.
Jefferson Parish Public Works team told us through a spokesperson that all backfilling, grading and remaining sidewalk and driveway concrete pours were promised by close of business Thursday.
And while we saw workers getting things done at that time, they’re far from finished.
Closer to 18th Street, where the shortened parade will take a U-turn, what should be a sidewalk is just sand.
North of 17th Street, toward West Esplanade, won’t see a parade this year. But we’re told the construction mess north of it will be cleaned up for pedestrians and protected by fencing when necessary.
Those measures had not been taken as of the close of business Thursday.
The parish tells us there is a site inspection and last-pass for debris scheduled for Friday morning at 9 a.m., and a hard stop for work along Severn at noon Friday.
Construction will resume next Monday through Friday and stop until Mardi Gras day.