NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans has an ambitious goal of completing more than 500 infrastructure projects ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
On Tuesday, Governor Jeff Landry, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, NFL officials and other stakeholders held a press conference announcing some of the projects.
CEO of GNO, Inc., Michael Hecht, presented what they hope to complete in the eight-month timeline.
“I think the reality is that we’re not going to get the full list of over 500 projects done, but we are going to get a substantial portion done and those are going to be ones that are in the most important, or visible, or critical areas, and they’re going to last for decades after that," Hect said.
Most of the focus will be on the areas surrounding the Superdome, including the CBD, Warehouse District, and French Quarter.
Outside the dome, you may have noticed that work is already underway on Poydras Street. It's one of 67 projects officials aimed to repair and resurface roads.
75 of the projects will tackle broken lights from the French Quarter to the interstate and all the way to the Crescent City Connection.
46 projects will target crumbling and hazardous sidewalks, and 40 projects will be aimed at flooding prevention, including Canal Street.
Plus, underpasses such as the one at Earhart & South Claiborne will turn into green spaces.
Meanwhile, efforts to rehouse individuals and close encampments will continue.
If you're worried about hundreds of thousands of fans killing cell signals, they thought of that, too. Verizon, AT&T, Cox, and Entergy are expected to team up to bring 5G to the CBD.
Hecht said the projects' price tag will range between $40 and $60 million, with the money coming from state appropriations, city budgets, and private funding.
Not only was a project manager hired to oversee the projects, but the Governor's Office said a weekly status meeting with all city and state stakeholders has been scheduled.
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