Work begins on Crescent City Connection LED project

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The Crescent City Connection (CCC) is undergoing a literal glow-up.

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) District Engineer Scott Boyle confirmed to FOX 8 that work has begun on the installation of LED lights on the bridge.

He said the goal is to have it completed in time for Super Bowl LIX (Feb. 9, 2025).

“It’s going to take some time and effort to get there, but we’re certainly excited about what this is going to mean for the city as far as showcasing these two iconic structures along the Mississippi River,” Boyle said.

Once completed, he said the New Orleans Department of Public Works will have the power to change the color scheme of the lights -- akin to what can be done at the Super Dome.

THE CRESCENT CITY CONNECTION GLOW-UP:

Here are some fun DOTD renderings of the LED light project that's now underway.

Price tag: $20M

Traffic delays: Lane closures inbound (May-August 2024)

Lights: Can decoratively colored

Timeline: Before the Super Bowl@FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/fZxqFUyuwZ

But the project will have its consequences.

Boyle said there will be intermittent traffic disruptions between now and May. One lane will be closed both ways for the work from May to August.

“If this bridge was located in the middle of nowhere, these would not be the type of concerns we’d be addressing, but because of the location where this is and for the complexity of this work, this is what we have to do to get this project completed,” he said.

Some CCC drivers told us they welcome the lights, but aren’t looking forward to traffic headaches.

Uber driver Beneva Njie said time stuck on the bridge could mean lost revenue.

“I don’t want to be sitting on the bridge. That one lane, that’s really going to hurt a lot of people, especially getting to work too,” she said.

Gordon Hoffman said he rarely uses the bridge, and this will likely keep him away more.

“Traffic does drive pretty fast on that bridge and people are going from lane to lane. So if they have to cut down on a lane, that’s not good,” he lamented.

Boyle said the project carries a $20 million price tag.

DOTD spokesperson Daniel Gitlin said the state is paying for the project, but New Orleans is picking up state roads for maintenance in exchange for its contribution to the project.

Boyle said the city will also take over maintenance of the decorative CCC lights upon completion.

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