Preparations have begun for the 4th of July holiday celebrations in the city as well as ESSENCE Festival which is being held this Independence Day weekend. In a meeting with city officials, Mayor Cantrell and leaders discussed, traffic restrictions, parking restrictions, as well as French Quarter Street closures.
Here is the news release from Mayor Cantrell and the City of New Orleans:
Today, Mayor Cantrell convened public safety officials and department heads for a tabletop briefing on the preparations underway for the Fourth of July holiday and ESSENCE Festival, which is expected to bring a large number of visitors to New Orleans this weekend. Residents are encouraged to prepare for heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic and to celebrate safely throughout the weekend.
ESSENCE Festival events will be held in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and Louis Armstrong Park beginning Thursday, July 4 through Sunday, July 7. Details about festival events are available at essence.com/festival. Additionally, the annual Go Fourth on the River live performances and fireworks display will take place in Crescent Park in the evening of Thursday, July 4. Details are available at go4thontheriver.com/events.html.
Traffic Restrictions
In anticipation of large crowds, the New Orleans Police Department and the Louisiana State Police will restrict traffic to ensure the safety of pedestrians. Additional intermittent street closures might be required as crowd size warrants.
French Quarter Closures
From 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. overnight Thursday and from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. overnight Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, public safety officials will screen vehicles entering the French Quarter within the perimeter of Canal, Decatur, Dumaine, and Rampart Streets. Only residents, employees, hotel guests, and taxis or ride hailing services will be allowed to drive vehicles into the French Quarter. Additionally, from 6:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. overnight Thursday and from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. overnight Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Bourbon Street from Canal to Dumaine Streets and the 700 and 800 blocks of St. Ann, Orleans, St. Peter, Toulouse, St. Louis, Conti, Bienville, and Iberville Streets will be closed to all traffic. See map
Convention Center Boulevard
Construction along Convention Center Boulevard will cease during ESSENCE events, however road closures, barricades and fencing associated with the construction will remain in place. Additionally, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Convention Center Boulevard will be converted to a downtown-bound one way between Calliope and Julia Streets. Side street traffic in this stretch will be limited to residents and employees. All ride hailing vehicles are asked to drop off and pick up on S. Peters Street. Convention Center Boulevard will remain open to two-way traffic from Henderson to Calliope Streets and from Julia to Poydras Streets, but intermittent closures may be required. See map
Parking Restrictions
From 12:00 p.m. Thursday, July 4 to 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 5, no parking will be allowed on Decatur Street from Dumaine to St. Louis Streets. From 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. overnight Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, no parking will be allowed on the following streets:
700-800 blocks of St. Ann, Orleans, St. Peter, Toulouse, St. Louis, Conti, Bienville, and Iberville Streets
Canal Street from Claiborne Avenue to Convention Center Boulevard
Poydras Street from LaSalle Street to S. Claiborne Avenue
Perdido Street from LaSalle Street to S. Claiborne Avenue
Tulane Avenue from LaSalle Street to S. Claiborne Avenue
LaSalle Street from Poydras Street to Tulane Avenue
Clara Street from Poydras to Perdido Streets
S. Claiborne Avenue from Perdido Street to Tulane Avenue
S. Claiborne Avenue from Poydras to Cypress Streets
Old Poydras Street from Bolivar to S. Galvez Streets
Residents and visitors are reminded to always follow posted signs. Parking enforcement personnel will be monitoring for illegal parking.
Do not block hydrants, driveways and sidewalks.
Do not park within 20 feet of a crosswalk, intersection, or stop sign.
Park in the direction of travel on one-way streets and with the right wheel to the curb on two-way streets.
Call 504-658-8100 for 24 hour parking enforcement.
Transportation Impacts
In anticipation of increased ridership during weekend events, the Regional Transit Authority will provide extra service on the St. Charles, Canal, and Union Passenger Terminal streetcar lines. Details on any route changes are available at norta.com or via Ride Line at 504-248-3900. All RTA service alerts, updates, and detours can also be accessed by downloading the RTA’s GoMobile app.
Safety Reminders
As always during major special events, residents and visitors are encouraged to take care in large crowds and to report suspicious activity to public safety officials. Additionally, the New Orleans Fire Department reminds residents that the discharging of consumer fireworks in Orleans Parish is illegal. The safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a public display conducted by trained professionals.
The National Weather Service anticipates high heat index values beginning Friday, July 5 with “feels like” temperatures within the 105 to 109 degree range. Residents and visitors are reminded to stay hydrated, stay inside in air conditioning, and if outside, to take frequent breaks in the shade. Special attention should be given to young children, the elderly, and people with medical needs. More information on extreme heat is available at ready.nola.gov/heat.
Details on special events are available at ready.nola.gov/events. Residents and visitors are also encouraged to follow us on social media @nolaready and sign up for emergency alerts. Residents should text their zip code to 888777 and visitors should text TOURSAFENOLA to 888777 to sign up for alerts.