Jefferson Parish road projects complete after years of construction

METAIRIE, La. (WVUE) -- Drivers and the owners of businesses along Severn Avenue in Metairie are filled with joy this holiday season. Traffic is flowing once again after years of road work.

“It was really frustrating. I actually almost got into a couple of fender benders,” says Erriael Chapman.

But now, it’s clear sailing.

“That Severn project was an entire replacement of the roadway and everything underneath it, from Veterans to West Esplanade. That’s not easy. There were plenty of delays, but it’s great for the future,” Jefferson Parish Councilman Scott Walker said.

The infrastructure project fixed the drainage along Severn, improved traffic flow and made it more accessible for bike riders, Walker said.

“It’s very nice for the upcoming parades, and just to update the neighborhood,” said a passing driver.

Businesses along Severn said they’ve immediately seen more customers.

“After construction cleared up, we started seeing new faces,” Chapman said. “It was people we’ve never seen before.”

“We definitely had fewer customers when it was under construction. Now that it’s cleared up, we have more traffic here and in the mall, where we have a booth,” said business owner Danny Howell.

Drivers also will notice completed projects on nearby David Drive and the Causeway overpass.

But motorists still will have to deal with some shutdowns of rail crossings in Old Metairie next week, as the railway company works on the tracks.

“It’s all about safety, so the trains can move through safely,” Walker said.

Despite going through a pandemic, the councilman said Jefferson Parish continues to thrive.

“We’ve seen double-digit sales tax increases every year since 2020,” Walker said. “From the pandemic till now, we’re up 34 percent sales tax revenue.”

Walker said the parish gained 3,000 businesses in that period.

“I believe that we did a very good job as a parish and as a council to make sure that our businesses were able to succeed and survive the pandemic and thrive afterwards,” Walker said.

“There’s a lot of options out here that you don’t get anywhere else,” Chapman said.

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