Students, business owners, and residents in the Uptown area are frustrated and tired of having to change their schedules to avoid construction.
Chris Lawson, the owner of Liberty Barbers on Maple Street, said he’s noticed a change in revenue because of nearby construction.
According to Lawson, the construction also led to constant debris in the area, nails in his tires, limited time to get lunch during his break, and feeling like he is “trapped in a loop” trying to find a way out of detours.
“It has impacted traffic and parking, causing a lot of customers to be late for appointments because of the challenges navigating around the area,” Lawson said. “One person being late impacts my entire day.”
According to the Roadwork NOLA website, around 41 areas across the city are under construction. Some projects began in 2020, while others are more recent. In Uptown, around 45 roads are under construction for different reasons.
Many students are tired of the disruption around campus and near their homes. Some have adjusted to the disruptions by leaving extra early, asking for rides from other people, or parking farther away from campus to make sure they make it to class on time.
“I have been frustrated about the construction,” said senior Alana Thompson. “It gets aggravating when I am making sure that I leave early to try to account for potential traffic, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.’
Before the construction Thompson’s commute usually took 20 minutes, but has turned into an hour of waiting in traffic, taking different routes to avoid construction, and struggling to find parking near school.
Local business owners have also experienced their fair share of frustration. Leah Vidrine, owner of Uptown Charm, a beauty studio on Maple Street, reported similar challenges.
“We have been established for over a decade, so our returning clients are still coming in, but they are really unhappy about having to park blocks away and arriving frustrated and not in a calm state that we would prefer as this is time for themselves to enjoy,” Vidrine said.
Vidrine said she has resorted to social media to update clients and make sure they know what routes to take and where to park.
Like other civilians, Vidrine is frustrated by the lack of communication about construction interference.
“We have only been notified, about half the time, that the water will be off for one to four hours. Thankfully, we can do most of our services without water and use bottled or filtered water when needed,” Vidrine said.
Residents suggested different forms of communications from the city might ease their struggle. These included a mobile map of construction, a map of detours, a master schedule, and post signs.
