BATON ROUGE — Phase One of the Perkins Overpass Project started Monday, which involves restricted parking in some areas while Entergy works to move power lines underground.

Director of East Baton Rouge Transportation and Drainage Fred Raiford said the phase will sometimes be inconvenient for nearby businesses but should be completed in about a month. The goal is to make the area more accessible with new sidewalks, bike lanes and additional lighting.

“A lot of people have said they would like to visit some of the businesses there, but they did not want to drive because it’s really tight sometimes, and finding a place to park is difficult," Raiford said. "And number two, nobody wants to work under the Perkins Road overpass. In their minds, it’s uncomfortable to do that. Not unsafe, but uncomfortable." 

With construction underway, parking will be restricted for residents and customers. Some businesses may lose power for a few hours. Raiford says these inconveniences should not last long, weather permitting.

"Our goal and objective are not to put people out of business but to improve and expand their business opportunities. I believe that the improvements we propose and the connectivity to the business areas will help," he said.

The current phase is expected to be completed in a few weeks. Regarding the overall schedule for the project, Raiford says once Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railroad approves the plans, it will take about a year to finish the work. 

The entire plan can be read here.