The Sewerage and Water Board has announced it has nearly completed restoration in the French Quarter.
According to the Sewerage and Water Board, the roadwork is part of the French Quarter Transmission Main Project.
Crews are working on the last items, wrapping up the final finishing touches for the new streets.
The 900-1100 blocks of Decatur Street and the 600 block of St. Peter Street received new streets and subsurface utilities as part of the project.
SWBNO said it will continue fencing removal on Wednesday.
Additional repairs are still underway, including the following:
- New ADA ramp at Dumaine and Decatur
- A few patches of sidewalk where fencing was located.
- Finishing up slate around ADA ramps at St Philip.
- Bricking sidewalk near French Market Cafe.
- Any remaining punch list items.
“I think the utility companies need to be a bit more realistic about the limitations of these construction projects and expect and plan the delays,” said Erin Holmes, Executive Director of the Vieux Carré Property Owners Residents and Associates.
Holmes hopes that utilities and developers use the Decatur street construction as a lesson on how to plan projects better in the future in order to avoid financial distress to small businesses.
Despite the project coming to a close and foot traffic returning to many of the impacted businesses, several businesses are still moving forward with a lawsuit against the Sewerage and Water Board.
Christina Marullo, owner of French Market Restaurant, has helped spearhead that effort and sent this statement to WDSU:
“Their last-minute attempt to make changes just one week before our next court date does not erase the months of inaction, lack of transparency, and failure to comply with the consent judgment. Since August 2025, our business has suffered approximately $2 million in lost revenue, and only after returning to court last week did we see any meaningful attempt to address these issues. Yet we still have no access to St. Philip Street or the 1000 block of Decatur Street. We fully intend to return to court next week and hold them accountable for every single day they failed to honor the consent judgment. Last minute efforts do not undo the damage already done, nor do they excuse months of noncompliance.”
Marullo says they are not only moving forward with the lawsuit, but plan to amend it as well, adding Rubion construction and its subcontractors to the litigation.
Marullo says her restaurant will be forced to shut down after Jazz Fest in order to completely replace the walls of the building, balcony and ceiling that the restaurant sustained as a result of the construction.
The Sewerage and Water Board is due back in court on November 17th.
READ MORE:Despite roadwork completion, Decatur Street businesses pressing on with lawsuit
