By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Construction on a major drainage project in the LaPlace area will force the closure of a portion of West Fifth Street starting Monday morning, according to St. John the Baptist Parish Officials.

Paige Braud, spokesperson for the parish, said West Fifth Street between Orange Loop and Main Street will be closed to through traffic for construction that is part of the ongoing St. Joan of Arc/Persimmon Street drainage project.

Braud said the closure is expected to last until 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4.

The closure will affect drivers who frequent West Fifth Street as an alternate to Airline Highway through LaPlace. Braud said residents of the area will have access to their homes throughout the closure.

Braud said detour signage will be posted in advance to notify drivers of alternate routes and added that fire safety, emergency response, schools, postal carriers and garbage collectors have been notified.

Major traffic along the route will be detoured to Louisiana Highway 629, Fir Street and Hemlock Street.

The construction work is part of the second half of a roughly $1.5 million drainage project that will correct flooding problems in areas surrounding Persimmon Street and St. Joan of Arc School. The parish is working to redirect drainage in that area to the Mississippi River rather than toward Airline Highway and out to Lake Pontchartrain.

As the project moves forward, representatives from the parish administration will maintain contact with the contractor and engineers and make notifications to residents as necessary.

“We apologize for the inconvenience but ask for your patience during completion of this important project,” Parish President Natalie Robottom said. “The contractors will make every effort to complete this project as quickly as possible.”