Old Baker Zachary Road is about to lose a key stretch for good. Starting Monday, March 2, a portion of the road in Zachary will close permanently to vehicle traffic so crews can push ahead on the Comite River Diversion project. The shutdown covers the segment between Spur Lane and a point about 3,000 feet south of Kirkwood Lane, cutting a familiar neighborhood route that many drivers use to move north and south toward LA-19.
Closure Details And Where Drivers Go Next
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, the permanent closure runs from Spur Lane north to a point roughly 3,000 feet south of Kirkwood Lane and takes effect March 2, 2026.
Residents who live north of Kirkwood Lane are being directed to travel north on Old Baker Zachary Road to New Weis Road to reach LA-19. Those living south of Spur Lane are told to head south on Old Baker Zachary Road to Heck Young Road or Twin Oaks Drive to access LA-19. The Corps says the closure is tied to excavation and bridge construction for Comite River Diversion Channel Segment 2B, work that will reroute water away from the Amite River during high-flow events.
For questions and real-time construction impacts, the Corps has set up a Construction Impact Hotline at (877) 427-0345.
Local TV Outlets Sound The Alarm
Local stations WAFB and WBRZ have both picked up the Corps notice, repeating the detour advice for people who rely on Old Baker Zachary Road. Their coverage underscores that the closure is permanent for the foreseeable future to give crews space for heavy construction, and notes that drivers will need to plan on using alternate north-south routes. Neither outlet reported any projected reopening date for the affected segment.
What The Comite River Diversion Is Built To Do
As described in Corps publications, the Comite River Diversion is a roughly 12-mile urban flood-risk reduction channel designed to connect the Comite River to the Mississippi River before flows make it to the Amite River. The project is set to include control structures, rock chutes and multiple bridges, and during peak operation the channel is expected to divert up to 30,000 cubic feet of water per second.
Channel Segment 2B, the portion linked to the Old Baker Zachary Road shutdown, is among the contracts the Corps awarded in 2025 to build part of the diversion, according to a contract announcement from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Drivers who usually cut through on Old Baker Zachary Road are being urged to start adjusting routes now and to budget extra time for school and work commutes. For maps and construction updates, the Corps is directing the public to its Construction Impact Hotline at (877) 427-0345.
