When Hurricane Katrina submerged more than 80% of New Orleans underwater, it took days for the flooding to recede. Millions of gallons of water remained stagnant in residential areas, making streets virtually impassable and homes uninhabitable. For road work alone, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) agreed to grant the city $2 billion in funding. As rehabilitation is a lengthy process that involves careful planning and implementation, local authorities wasted no time and decided to get the roads fixed.
How Bad Were the Roads?
Due to the massive floodings in recent years, the streets of New Orleans have become weaker and more brittle. Severe water damage along with poor drainage will lead to large road and sidewalk cracks and the dreaded potholes. According to reports, New Orleans’ post-Katrina road repair efforts cost 10 times more than in previous decades. During that time, over 40% of city roads were rated as very poor or in failing condition, and about 25% were poor. Disappointingly, a mere 14% of NOLA streets fared as excellent or good at the least.
With these devastating road conditions, authorities estimate spending around $350 million per year to make them drivable once more. In terms of time, such projects may take anywhere between 10 to 30 years, with additional costs for regular maintenance. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2rDW7Hu
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