Subdivision overlay project delays testing patience of residents
DENHAM SPRINGS - One neighborhood in Livingston Parish says its road project is taking forever. Cindi Dier lives in the Forest Ridge Subdivision in Denham Springs and says after reaching out to everyone she can think of for help, they contacted 2 On Your Side.
"It's never going to be done at the rate they're going," Dier said.
The repaving project started in mid-October. Dier says they had been told for "several years" that the neighborhood was on a list for complete overlay since the roads in the neighborhood have been deteriorating for a long time. Once the work started, it became clear that only two of the five streets in the subdivision would be worked on. Even so, now three months later Dier says the work isn't finished.
She says road crews have consistently been in the subdivision working one day a week, and some weeks they don't show up at all.
"If they would show up more than once a week to do this, it could have been done months ago," she said.
Right now, one side of the main street is completed and the other side still needs another layer. The front of the subdivision is still a gravel mess. Bumps along the way have caused damage to cars, and dust has created health issues for some people living there.
"We've had popped tires, we've had people who have had undercarriage damage," she said.
Trending News
This week, 2 On Your Side reached out to Livingston Parish about the project. According to the parish, engineers overseeing the Forest Ridge Subdivision project said there was a small area in the neighborhood that required base repair. The work has been completed but requires a 72-hour drying period. Other delays include utility conflicts and constructing one lane at a time to maintain access. The project should be completed on Wednesday, Jan. 19.
Dier says if that happens it would be a miracle, but hopes construction will wrap up when the parish says it will.
"It's on the parish to get these people out here to finish the roads," Dier said.
Dier says the rest of the neighborhood is getting fresh blacktop later this year and fears she'll have to go through this whole process again.