Portions of the state-maintained LA 352/Henderson Levee Road have been restricted to one-lane traffic for the past two years and it is difficult to determine if and when it will return to normal.
The one-lane configuration went into effect following a series of dirt slides along the levee just below the asphalt roadway. In July 2017 the state Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) declared an emergency lane closure and installed traffic signals that limit traffic in alternating directions.
The edges of the road’s asphalt surface have developed large cracks as the foundation sags due to the slides but DOTD officials say repairs will not be made until the slides are filled in.
Bill Oliver, district engineer for DOTD’s Lafayette district, told the Teche News that the levee failure occurred outside the DOTD’s 40-foot right of way and is not his department’s responsibility.
“The levee falls under the jurisdiction of the Atchafalaya Basin Levee District with oversight by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority,” Oliver says. “CPRA tells us they only perform capital projects on levees and that the levee district is responsible for maintenance of the levee system.” “We have no jurisdiction to perform levee repair and no funding available for this work,” Oliver added. “As soon as the levee district can repair the levee failure, we will repair our roadway and put it back into full service. The solution to this problem lies with the Atchafalaya Levee District and CPRA.”
State Sen. Fred Mills says he is working with State Reps. Mike “Pete” Huval and Terry Landry on scheduling a meeting between all three agencies to decide who’s in charge of getting the work done.
Huval said he is hopeful that all agencies involved will come together and agree to a solution.
William Tyson, executive director of the Atchafalaya Basin Levee District, said that his agency is currently looking over maps for rights-of-way to determine just who is responsible for the repair work.
There are three major slides along the road and the one lane closure is now 1½ miles long. Over the 4th of July holiday, the traffic light on the levee malfunctioned causing the road to be temporarily closed. DOTD quickly replaced the light on July 5.
This part of the Henderson Levee Road/LA352 leads to four boat landings and is busy with recreational/commercial fishermen and tourists visiting the Atchafalaya Basin.
