HARVEY, La. — Drivers who take the Harvey Tunnel are scrambling to find another way to cross the canal.
Crews are preparing to shut it down for two years as a major construction project gets underway.
“This is the total refurbishment of the tunnel,” Rep. Rodney Lyons, D-Harvey said. “The tiles are going to be refurbished. The lighting is going to be replaced. The approach laterals are going to be done. It’s going to be a beautiful tunnel when in fact it is finished.”
But with four lanes of traffic no longer available, traffic is backing up on alternative routes such as Lapalco boulevard, the elevated Westbank Expressway, and 4th Street.
“It’s backed up all the way to Barataria Blvd and all the way to Gretna on the other side,” said Jamie Boudreaux from Marrero.
Boudreaux complains about the repeated opening of the 4th Street drawbridge over the Harvey Canal during peak commute times.
“Rush hour is a mess,” she said. The bridge went up at 5:05, two afternoons ago for a trawl boat to go through. Morning times the bridge is going up 4 times in an hour and fifteen minutes.”
Sen. Pat Connick is pushing the Louisiana Department of Transportation and the U.S. Coast Guard to stop boats from crossing under the bridge during the morning and evening rush hours.
“It just doesn’t make sense for the traffic to back up for miles and miles to let a shrimp boat through when a shrimp boat can wait an hour or two before going through,” Connick said.
In the meantime, Rep. Lyons is asking drivers to leave a little earlier.
“I got caught in it myself, so I know how it is,” he said. “It’s going to be worth the wait. You’re going to be proud of the product when it’s finished.
The Harvey Tunnel will be closed on an intermittent basis through the holidays.
DOTD plans to then close the tunnel for two years after the first of the year.
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