A NEW Orleans woman says her family hasn’t been able to use their own driveway for nearly a decade.
Every trip down their street risks a flat tire, thanks to crumbling roads and unfinished city work that’s left her Algiers neighborhood in ruins.
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In front of Shawanda Harris’ mother’s home on Lauradale Drive, weeds and grass tower over what used to be a drivable street.
Beneath the sinking surface, a Sewerage and Water Board manhole cover is barely visible.
Pointing at the overgrowth, Harris told Fox 8: “Once we cut this grass, it’s going to grow back again.
“We haven’t used this driveway in over seven to eight years.”
It’s not just the street that’s wrecked.
Harris says the city left behind a bigger mess after tearing up her mother’s yard years ago, only to abandon the job.
“They cracked all of this here up. They left cones and everything out here,” she explained.
For elderly neighbors, the battered roadway is more than an eyesore — it’s dangerous.
“When we have to call the EMS or the fire truck, they’re gonna stop right here,” Harris warned.
“They’re gonna have to back up and go out and go back out that way because, if you can look by that tree, that sinks down also.”
Despite years of begging the city for repairs, nothing has changed.
Fox 8 reached out to Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration for answers but got no response.
Councilman Freddie King, who represents the district, visited Lauradale Drive on Sunday after being contacted.
He snapped photos and vowed to fight for the residents.
King said: “The people in this area deserve a smooth street to drive down, not to worry about busting a tire or some other damage to their property.”
He admitted the repair job is too big for city crews and will require a private contractor.
A Department of Public Works official told him Lauradale would be added to the candidate list for this year’s concrete roadway repair contract — but so far, no work has begun.
King also promised to help fix Harris’ mother’s yard, saying the city should take responsibility.
“You do a repair on the street, you do a repair on someone’s private property, you should repair it,” King said.
“We’re going to find out who that was, whether it be DPW, Sewerage and Water Board, find out who that is, and get them to repair this.”
He insists he won’t stop pressing for answers: “As soon as we get some funds, I promised them that we’re gonna get their street fixed as soon as possible.”
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