City Urges Residents, Schools, and Businesses to Prepare for Heavy Traffic Downtown

Monday will begin the start of the business week with major road closures in the downtown area as well as adjustments to public transportation service. We want people to heed all traffic precautions that we have put out as we stabilize this area.

If it is not necessary to come downtown, residents and urged to avoid the area. If employees have the ability to work remotely, employers are urged to make arrangements to allow them to do so.

Carpooling, sharing rides, using public transportation, or biking will also reduce the number of vehicles coming into the area. If you live near co-workers or classmates, ride together to reduce the number of vehicles coming into the area. 

It there is no way to avoid coming to the area for work, it is vital that drivers exercise extreme caution and patience as the number of road closures is expected to cause significant delays and slowdowns.

NOPD officers will be out facilitating traffic flow at locations that usually experience higher traffic volume. Drivers are asked to heed officers and follow their directions in order to reduce delays as our city begins to work through the disruption caused by the construction collapse of the Hardrock Hotel that occurred on Saturday.

The road closures will cause longer commute times. Residents need to account for those delays and area businesses and schools to should prepare for the possibility that students and employees will be arriving late to class and work.

The boundaries for the road closures have not changed.

• Common Street is closed from Basin Street to Dauphine Street.
• Dauphine Street is closed from Common Street to Conti Street
• Conti Street is closed from Dauphine to Basin Street
• Canal Street is closed between Elk Place and Dauphine Street

Canal Street is open both directions between the Mississippi River and Dauphine Street. Drivers traveling lake bound will be required to turn back and use St. Charles Avenue, Magazine Street, and Tchoupitoulas Street to travel Uptown.

Schools are prepared for traffic

NOLA Public Schools would like to send its condolences to the families of the individuals impacted by the Hard Rock Hotel building collapse. While emergency crews continue to work the scene, we want to remind families of the traffic restrictions around the site that will likely cause delays to and from our schools. We would like to remind parents, students, and school staff who utilize public transportation to give themselves ample time during their morning and afternoon commutes. NOLA Public Schools has also asked school leaders to be understanding of any late arrivals to school campuses due to potential delays.