Foreshadowing the Lafayette Connector: 'The Monster' - Claiborne Avenue Before and After the Interstate

Photo: The Historic New Orleans Collection

George Santayana is credited with saying "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." With that in mind, look at the history of destruction left by the Louisiana DOTD as they developed urban interstates in the 1960's. In New Orleans they proposed the Riverfront Expressway through the French Quarter and along the Mississippi River. Thankfully, the public outcry prevailed to stop the French Quarter section of interstate, but the Expressway was built through the Treme neighborhood over Claiborne Avenue in 1968.

Read more about this history of loss in this WWNO post titled 'The Monster': Claiborne Avenue Before And After The Interstate.  http://wwno.org/post/monster-claiborne-avenue-and-after-interstate

Plans for the Lafayette Connector date back to this era of urban destruction and social injustice. How can DOTD prevent the same destruction and injustice in Lafayette today that they brought about nearly 50 years ago in New Orleans?