New Bridges at Hundred Oaks & Broussard on Dawson Creek

Both Hundred Oaks Avenue and Broussard Street are located in a primarily residential area of Baton Rouge. At both locations, the current culvert crossings are experiencing conveyance constrictions resulting in backwater flooding.  As a result, the stream bank is at risk of over-topping and damaging the surrounding area. The goal of this project is to reduce those risks.

Broussard Street Culvert

Broussard Street Culvert

Existing 100-year floodplain (purple and magenta) with the reduction in floodplain with proposed culvert enlargement (black)

The photo above shows the current conditions of these crossings along Dawson Creek.  If left in this current condition, Dawson Creek is expected to continue to reduce channel flow and flood areas upstream of these locations, therefore causing preventable devastation.  To avoid these damages, the project will focus on replacing both culvert crossings with bridges.  This will open the Dawson Creek channel and prevent further flooding upstream.

The total cost of this project is $4.37 million, with 75% of this funding from the FEMA Hazard Grant Mitigation Program. This funding is supplemented with East Baton Rouge’s local match of 25%, which will be paid for by the Louisiana Watershed Initiative.  The bridge replacements on Hundred Oaks Avenue and Broussard Street will protect residential areas upstream of these crossings along Dawson Creek from damaging flood waters.  The newly constructed bridges will reduce channel constrictions, reducing chances of backwater flooding occurring in areas upstream of these locations.