When Chow Yum Phat moved from the former White Star Market to its current location under the Perkins Road overpass two years ago, co-owners Jordan Ramirez and Vu “Phat” Le knew that, one day, the much-discussed Interstate 10 widening—and the headaches that would come with it—might come to pass.
But with no specific start date, it didn’t stop Chow Yum Phat—or other small businesses—from setting up operations in the buzzy, highly trafficked area.
In fact, new businesses continue to open, even as plans for the project become clearer. Gail’s Fine Ice Cream opened in March, a stone’s throw from Chow Yum Phat. Construction is underway on Unleaded, the new barbecue concept across the street from Gail’s, as well as a new Mediterranean concept in the space once occupied by Bumsteers.
Now, it looks like the I-10 widening project has a set date: 2024. Earlier this year, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced that while the Perkins Road overpass area was thought to be part of a much later phase of the interstate widening project, it will now be part of the first phase, which is slated to wrap in 2027. That includes widening the interstate between La. 451 and Acadian Thruway.
In the Perkins Road overpass area, the project includes removing the Perkins Road exit, along with its on- and off-ramps. This will allow for a widened and easier-to-use Acadian Thruway exit, and also enables a widened I-10 to fit within the existing right of way on Perkins Road, thus reducing impact on existing businesses, according to DOTD. The plan calls for replacing the current large, clunky supports with ones that are thinner and more streamlined. It will also add a sound wall to reduce overhead noise.
And perhaps most appealing to the fans of this area, the plan calls for new green space. Some of the space captured from the removal of the Perkins Road exit will be converted to walking paths that ultimately connect Acadian Village to the overpass area.
Parking will also be improved. The current rough-riding gravel lots used by many overpass businesses will be replaced with attractive parking areas flanked by a linear park, what planners call a narrow strip of land developed as green space.
Ultimately, it’s a positive project. But its beginnings will be painful.
A small number of properties, including Fresh Salon on Christian Street, will be acquired and razed. Right of way maps will be finalized in May, after which the acquisition process will begin, says DOTD communications director Rodney Mallett.
As they work on the interstate expansion overhead, crews will have to take up current parking spaces to stage equipment. There’s also collective concern in the community about the expected traffic delays caused by the impact of narrowing the interstate to two-lanes.
“We don’t know now to what extent parking for patrons will be reduced,” Mallett says. “We’ll know that closer to when the project starts, but it’s likely that the locations will move around.”
That concerns Ramirez.
“We moved here in September 2019, and about six months later had to really pivot because of COVID,” Ramirez says. “We don’t want to have to do that again with losing a lot of parking.”
This story was first published in the April 2022 issue of 225 magazine, read the full story.
