Motorists in New Orleans are being directed to adjust their routes as the emergency abatement of a precarious structure at 1605 Esplanade is underway. According to a recent advisory from the Mayor's Office, traffic heading from Esplanade Avenue to City Park is now being rerouted to turn left onto North Claiborne Avenue. Fortunately for drivers coming from City Park, the lane on Esplanade Avenue towards North Claiborne Avenue remains open.

The situation unfolded yesterday when an inspector from the Department of Code Enforcement found significant structural issues during a standard Minimal Property Maintenance inspection. The structure’s front facade posed a collapse risk, and abatement efforts are nearing completion through a combination of manual labor and machinery. A clean-up operation is in progress to remove sidewalk debris, and, following this, barricades will be installed to direct inbound Esplanade Avenue traffic into a single lane.