DOTD to Initiate Debris Removal Service
Saturday, August 20, 2016 at 3:50:03 PM
BATON ROUGE, La. – Today, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn D. Wilson announced the Department will begin curbside debris removal from state right of way beginning Monday, August 22, in Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes. Due to the record amount of flooding, clearing affected roadways is a priority for the health and safety of residents.
“Curb-side debris removal along state routes provides important safety benefits to the traveling public, and is key to ensuring people can get back to work across the area,” Secretary Shawn Wilson said. “This important public service will be expanded to other impacted parishes in the coming days.”
With more than 60,000 homes reported damaged, many residents have begun the process of cleaning their homes. DOTD has deployed damage assessment teams throughout the affected areas. The primary focus is to safely and timely collect, stage, and transport any debris generated by the flood event. Debris management is important to maintain roadways, minimize odors and rodent or other problems, and to protect the workers and the public who may come in contact with waste materials.
Debris removal will occur in the federally declared parishes. A federal declaration has been received for the parishes of Acadia, Ascension, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington, and West Feliciana.
Debris removal will begin in East Feliciana, West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, Ascension and St. James parishes on Tuesday, August 23. Damage assessment teams are monitoring other impacted areas where debris removal will begin in the near future.
To date, DOTD has performed more than 1,200 bridge inspections. Six bridges remain out of service and are pending emergency repairs. All interstates are open throughout the state.
For more information, please visit www.dotd.la.gov, email dotdcs@la.gov, or call DOTD’s Custom Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683). Business hours are 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Motorists can access the latest updates on real-time traffic and road conditions using the 511 Traveler Information System by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region on which they are seeking information. Out-of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information Web site at www.511la.org.
-30-
www.dotd.la.gov