The city of Breaux Bridge is expected to scratch off several projects in a long list of infrastructure improvements by the end of this year.
Drainage, street repairs and water and sewer expansion are all in the works throughout the city.
People who live in Breaux Bridge say these new projects have been a long time coming.
"Well it’s been going on for a few months, and I don’t know how long it’s going to be," said resident Carol C. Guidry.
Those, like Guidry, who lives in Bear Creek subdivision are looking forward to a new road with a smoother ride and drainage updates.
"There’s a small drainage upgrade that’s part of the road project. We are upsizing some culverts that take water from the back part of that subdivision out to the canal, that eventually takes the water out toward the interstate," said Mayor Ricky Calais.
Bear Creek is also one of several neighborhoods included in the city’s latest sewerage expansion.
"We all have sewer plants, and that doesn’t work very well. You have to keep draining them and whatever," said Guidry.
Calais said the goal is to expand city water services to all residents, and sewerage to most, by the end of this year. It’s a goal that has been in the making for more than 30 years.
In addition to that, a major drainage project in the Green Acres neighborhood is set to start in the coming weeks.
"So, we’re going to pull up all of the culverts along Nona St. and completely redo them. It ended up, it’s about two-thirds of the street. As you get toward Rees St., the problem isn’t significant there," said Calais.
In all, about $2 million will go into the projects this year, money Calais says will be well spent — especially after events like the Historic Flood.
"We didn’t have one house flood because of drainage. We had three or four floods because of the bayou rising and three or four floods because of the swamp backing up, but it was not because of city drainage. We’re trying to make sure that continues in the future," said Calais.
