BATON ROUGE -- The University Parks Restoration Project has been ongoing for several years, but WBRZ is now getting a clearer timeline on what is next for the project and when it could be completed.

Project Manager Mark Goodson states that dredging on University Lake is expected to be completed by this summer.

"As they finish up University Lake, they'll start moving equipment over to Campus Lake, and it'll be done this fall," Goodson said.

When dredging ends in a particular area, Goodson says that crews will landscape the sediment that's been placed on the shoreline, which will continue through the end of this year.

"Some of the logs that they've unearthed as part of the dredging process, we've reused those to help create structures around the lakes where large drainage outlets enter the lakes to help trap sediment and debris so that it doesn't get dispersed back into the lake system," Goodson said.

Goodson says they will also need to landscape the expanded LSU bird sanctuary.

'We're removing over 600,000 cubic yards of sediment from the bottom of the lakes. So the majority of that material is going to the bird sanctuary, so we're expanding it, doubling it in size," Goodson said.

A large part of the project is the new bridge on May St, which has been closed since June, 2025. Once finished, it will connect the University and City Park Lakes.

"As they started to build the approaches for the new bridge, we ran into some Geotechnical issues. There was still just some weak soil in there that posed some problems. We're hoping, not guaranteeing, but hoping to have May Street reopened by the end of the year. There may still be some kind of finishing work to happen around May Street," Goodson said.

When asked if the end of the year meant Oct., Nov., or Dec. 2026, Goodson reiterated that it would be the end of the year. 

State Rep. Dixon McMakin (R-Baton Rouge) told WBRZ that the state legislature is working to put more money into the project.

"Right now, we have a bill that's going to allocate more money to this project. This is the front yard of your house. When you build a house, the front yard is the last thing you do. The landscaping," McMakin said. 

Goodson says he is still working to get funding for new dedicated paths around the lake for pedestrians and cyclists.

People walking along the lake say they look forward to not having to see all the construction equipment.

Baton Rouge resident Glynn Rea says he has walked along the lake many times over the last decade, but for the last several years, Rea has seen sights like cranes removing sediment in the water along the route quite often.

"I've noticed number one, looks like the water has gotten a lot muddier since they started work. The amount of equipment they got out here has probably gonna run up a pretty good bill," Rea said.