BATON ROUGE — May Street, which runs across University Lake, will be closed to all traffic starting June 4 and it's not expected to reopen until the middle of 2026 and the head of the University Lakes Restoration Project says it will make the area more accessible to both recreation and traffic.

“It’s going to improve the safety of the intersections at Dalrymple and East Lakeshore for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles,” University Lakes Restoration Project Lead Mark Goodson said.

The project has a long-range vision focused on expanding recreational opportunities around the popular lakes.

“People will be able to paddle, canoe, and kayak between the two lakes. It also allows the lakes to be connected hydrologically, which they have never been," Goodson said.

While dredging operations are now complete, this next phase will see significant infrastructure work done, including new channels to connect University Lake and City Park Lake. This connectivity, while boosting recreational access, necessitates the lengthy closure of May Street.

“It’s also going to create new channels to be cut to University Lake and City Park Lake, allowing more opportunities for everyone,” Goodson said.

The closure of May Street will impact local traffic patterns, including those who walk the nearby trails. The road serves as a well-used connector between Acadian Thruway and Dalrymple Drive, a route particularly popular during LSU football games.

Compounding the issue, drivers already navigate disruptions just north of this upcoming work zone, where highway crews are actively rebuilding Interstate 10, leading to the closure of East Lakeshore Drive. This existing closure means there won't be a straightforward detour around the May Street shutdown.

“The detour really includes using Perkins to get to Dalrymple or Government or to Stanford and to use either of those roads to get to East or West," Goodson said.

In typical traffic conditions, the detour via Perkins Road is estimated to add seven minutes to commutes. Traveling along Stanford Avenue to reach the eastern side of the LSU campus is expected to take around ten minutes.