GEISMAR — A major road project on Bluff Road is moving forward, but not without frustration for drivers in the Dutchtown area.
The full closure of Bluff Road has pushed traffic onto Highway 73, creating daily bottlenecks near Dutchtown High, Middle and Elementary schools. With Bluff Road closed, drivers have few alternatives, leading to congestion during peak morning and afternoon hours.
What’s been completed
According to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, crews have reached a major milestone at Jim Bayou.
Workers have removed the old, deteriorating box culverts and installed 35 new ones beneath the roadway. The original drainage structures were roughly 60 years old and found to have significant structural issues after being inspected.
DOTD said replacing the culverts now prevents the risk of a sudden failure that could have forced an emergency closure.
What’s next
Crews are now moving into the next phase of construction, which includes backfilling around the newly installed culverts, raising the roadway by about 21 inches to reduce future flooding risk and building embankments to support the elevated road.
The culvert replacement was not part of the original project scope. However, once crews drained and inspected the structures, DOTD determined the damage was severe enough to require immediate replacement.
Officials said delaying the work could have led to a dangerous roadway failure and a more disruptive, emergency shutdown.
How to get around the closure
Despite the repairs to a very small section of Bluff Road, the road remains fully closed between Serenity Lake Lane and Alligator Bayou Road.
The closure began March 9 and is expected to last through May 4, 2026.
Drivers are being routed along a detour using Perkins Road, Airline Highway and Highway 73. The detour can add 15-30 additional minutes to some commutes.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on the latest news across the Capital area.
