As locals anticipate and welcome the benefits, phase one of the Walker Road drainage project is nearing completion.
The project includes 4.4 million dollars in improvements.
However, it is just a portion of the nearly 40-million-dollar project that could relieve flooding for the hundreds of drivers that use the road daily.
The six-foot vertical wall channel that is expected to ease water flow not only on Walker Road but excessive flooding on Hebert Road.
Local resident, Donald mouton said, "When it had flood everywhere in Lafayette and everything. They had water at least all over the yard. And about two feet of water."
Donald mouton has lived here for decades recounting several flood events where the water nearly reached his home.
Councilman Patrick Lewis of District 1 said, "Over a thousand people pass here every day not including the school bus and the city bus. This is the route they pass to pick people up going to school or going to work."
Councilman city councilman Patrick Lewis expressed that the nearly 40-million-dollar drainage project will be a game changer.
"They shouldn't have an open ditch, just a culvert ditch. So, all the culverts will be under the ground. And on Hebert Road it's going to be open and a concrete drainage." said Lewis.
The Walker Road drainage project will also be a preliminary project for the Willow Street Widening project.
Jessica Caldarera, LCG engineer III said, "With this project and it being built this is going to relieve a lot of flooding in small rain events. Now there will still be flooding in larger rain events but as for small rain events it will help a lot."
Phase one is expected to be completed in October. The entirety of the project will take an additional four months to complete.
