A consent judgment was made Friday regarding a Sewerage and Water Board project that has left businesses in the French Quarter struggling due to barricades around the work.
A judge signed the consent judgment that would require barricades to come down in the French Quarter unless active work is underway.
The S&WB would also have to give 72 hours’ notice before closing off any areas, and the utility would have to suspend water disconnections for any clients impacted by the work.
This comes as businesses in the French Quarter celebrate the removal of sidewalk barricades at the intersection of Royal and St. Peter streets Thursday.
The fencing had been in place for over a year because of construction by the Sewerage and Water Board.
Streets in the area are still partially closed to cars.
Tammy Lewis, who manages a custom lighting and furniture store at Royal and St. Peter, said she was surprised to see crews taking down the fencing outside the storefront on Thursday.
“I was like, no way. I immediately took pictures,” Lewis said.
She said since the barricades went up, the store lost about half its yearly revenue.
“It rivaled Katrina and COVID’s economic impact,” Lewis said. “Even with the street opening now, the 13 months that we’ve dealt with all of this, it’s going to be a rough road to ever recoup those funds.”
Diarra Handy, who manages a nearby pizza shop, said the fencing hurt daily sales.
“The revenue has really dropped drastically. I mean, the restaurant itself is usually used to pull over ($2,000 per day). Now, it varies,” Handy said. “Once they really open that up, it is going to be packed and busy again, and I can’t wait for it.”
Caleb Schott, a former New Orleans resident visiting the area, was surprised to see the state of the French Quarter.
“I haven’t been in the Quarter in a while, and I just, when I saw this, I thought it was kind of crazy,” Schott said Thursday afternoon.
Other repeat visitors made sure to stop by their favorite shops, barricades or not.
“It’s very important that, you know, essentially tourism dollars continue to flow into not just the French Quarter, but into the entire city,” Danica Royster of Virginia said. “I’ll continue to always come to New Orleans because New Orleans is an amazing place.”
The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board issued the following statement regarding the agreement:
“The injunction proceedings involving the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) and business owners related to the ongoing French Quarter transmission main project have been resolved through consent judgment. SWBNO is turning its full attention toward finishing this work to restore normalcy to the neighborhood.
“SWBNO recognizes the toll this project has taken on the businesses and residents who live and work in the French Quarter every day. That understanding is playing a pivotal role in how the agency communicates moving forward. We will continue to provide weekly email updates to keep residents and businesses abreast of the work status. There is also a dedicated project website, and a sustained push to open up pedestrian access wherever it is safe to do so.
“We understand the frustration this project has caused, and we don’t take that lightly,” said Randy E. Hayman, SWBNO Executive Director. “This infrastructure work is essential to the long-term reliability of water and sewer service in the French Quarter. We remain committed to getting it done as quickly as possible while keeping the community informed every step of the way.”
“As construction progresses, SWBNO is focused on:
- Reducing construction fencing to restore pedestrian access, while maintaining fencing only where active work requires it
- Restoring pedestrian crossings block by block as work is completed
- Providing businesses and residents with regular, reliable updates on construction progress
“WHY THIS WORK MATTERS
“The project addresses infrastructure that is more than a century old and poses a significant risk of failure if left unaddressed. The scope includes:
- Full replacement of 1,600 feet of aging 24-inch aging cast iron transmission mains
- Replacement or upgrade of 2,000 feet of drainage lines and associated catch basins
- Inspection, repair, or lining of 1,500 feet of sewer lines
- New water and sewer service connections in the affected blocks, including several fire service connections
- Upgrades to Entergy electric and Delta gas infrastructure in the same footprint, to avoid future rework in this area
“This work is funded through FEMA’s Joint Infrastructure Recovery Request Program. The project’s timeline and scope were established under the former City administration, which faced a deadline to obligate approved federal funds. Current SWBNO leadership inherited that timeline and remains fully committed to seeing the project through. Construction, originally set to begin in early 2025, was delayed to accommodate the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, and again by high Mississippi River water levels, pushing the start into late July 2025. Despite those setbacks, crews have made steady, visible progress since breaking ground.
“WHERE THINGS STAND
600 St. Peter Street
Concrete pavement is complete on this block. Entergy has finished its vault and manhole adjustments, and SWBNO has poured the final two concrete panels at the intersection of St. Peter and Royal streets. Fencing has been removed and replaced with jersey barriers so pedestrian traffic can continue while sidewalk restoration is underway. That restoration is about 20% complete, and the block remains accessible to pedestrians throughout. Sidewalk work is expected to wrap within 3 to 4 weeks, weather permitting. Final asphalt overlay on the street will be installed after all other work is completed.
1100 Decatur Street
Concrete pavement is complete up to Ursulines Avenue. Green mesh and fencing have been removed along this block, opening it to pedestrian access ahead of the sidewalk restoration phase, which begins next week, weather permitting.
1000 Decatur Street
The concrete roadway is complete, curb installation is finished, and most of the green mesh fencing along this block has come down. Crews are now completing work on the 24-inch water main on the 900 block of Decatur, with the tie-in point located just before the intersection with St. Philip Street. Once that main is tied into the system, the remaining concrete panels will be paved and the last of the fencing on this block will come down.
900 Decatur Street
Drain line work and sewer upgrades are complete, and installation of the 24-inch transmission water main is more than 75% finished. Once that work wraps, crews will move into chlorination and bacteria testing ahead of tying the new main into the system. All subsurface utility work on this block is expected to be complete within 4 weeks, weather permitting, after which crews will pour concrete panels, complete temporary asphalt paving, and remove the last remaining fencing on the project, opening the site fully to pedestrian traffic. Final asphalt overlay on 1100 to 900 Decatur will be installed after all other work is completed.
“LOOKING AHEAD
“SWBNO will continue to prioritize transparency and pedestrian access as this project nears completion. Businesses or residents who want to be added to the project email distribution list can contact Public Outreach at outreach@swbno.org.”
READ MORE:SWB removing barricades from French Quarter where work isn’t actively underway
