A drainage improvement project along a four-mile stretch of Coulee Fortune described as "the most aggressive drainage project that Broussard has ever undertaken", could allow hundreds of Broussard residents and business owners to see flooding relief in the years ahead.
The multi-million, multi-year project will impact about 1,110 homes and 200 businesses in the coulee's 2,470-acre drainage area.
The Acadiana Advocate reported that work is set to begin in September along the Coulee, which is also known as Cypress Bayou.
"We're starting modestly by cleaning the channel of debris, but that's the first thing you have to do. And the goal is to get all of that done while we're getting the detailed engineering analysis done," said city engineer Walter Comeaux.
The City Council recently approved $60,000 for rental equipment needed to clear out the coulee, officials say.
Mel Bertrand, the city's public works director, said work will begin on the northern end of the project at Bayou Tortue. He estimates that it will take six to eight months to reach the halfway point of the project at U.S. 90. The southern end of the project, which crosses at Main Street and concludes at South Morgan Avenue, will come next.
In a recent article from our partners at The Advocate, Bertrand said, "It's not going to be, by any means, done quickly because there's a lot to do there. It will be a huge undertaking, but we're up for it, and we'll be better for it."
Broussard has prioritized drainage improvement projects since the floods of August 2016 along with several other communities in South Louisiana. Thousands of homes and businesses flooded in the region leaving behind silt, debris and overgrowth, and Coulee Fortune is one of the projects that had yet to be tackled until now.
According to the city's public works department, a full-time crew dedicated to Coulee and drainage maintenance as been put in place.
