Perkins Overpass gets missing link
Bike, walking paths will connect the restaurant district with neighborhoods
One of Baton Rouge’s most obvious quality-of-life fixes is moving ahead. After the railroad finished a phase of work needed to support a pedestrian crossing, the Department of Transportation and Drainage started the process for a roughly $3 million project to better connect the Perkins Road Overpass area by foot with the surrounding neighborhoods.
The big picture: For years, the overpass has been both a physical and mental barrier between nearby neighborhoods and one of the city’s most popular restaurant and retail districts. Walking there has meant squeezing along a narrow path beside fast-moving cars, then dealing with a route that is more obstacle course than stroll. Plenty of people living in the Garden District, Poets, Hundred Oaks drive instead.
What’s changing: Under a design by Carbo Landscape, the area will be made easier and safer to move through on foot or by bike. The key piece is a new path that will let pedestrians and cyclists use Reymond Avenue to slip under the overpass and emerge near Bldg 5.
The plan also adds:
- public art, seating, signage and low-maintenance landscaping
- improved lighting
- more parking
What’s next: T&D Director Fred Raiford tells RedEye the Metro Council is likely to vote in late May to move the project forward. Construction bids have been posted and are expected to open in April. If all goes as planned, work could start this summer and wrap up before year’s end.
“We really want this to be a great project for the entire residential and commercial community areas,” Raiford said.
Between the lines: This did not happen by accident. Jenni Peters of Varsity Sports and Misti and Brumby Broussard of Bldg 5 helped push the idea forward through vision, advocacy and personal funding for the design work. The parish joined the effort.
The bottom line: The project will turn a long-standing barrier into a real connection, and could spark the next step—a linear park under the interstate, which Peters wants as the next step.
“Ultimately, the Perkins Road Overpass area will evolve from an accessibility obstacle into an inviting, dynamic district that reflects Baton Rouge’s forward-thinking vision and dedication to connectivity and neighborhood vitality,” says Project Engineer Jason Crain of Waggoner.
