Federal Fund Targets Racist Highway Routing for Change

Hunter's Field Playground in New Orleans, located beneath the Claiborne Expressway, remains largely unused due to the noise and pollution caused by the elevated road. The construction of the expressway in the 1960s divided the predominantly African-American community and led to the decline of businesses along Claiborne Avenue. While the federal government's Reconnecting Communities initiative aims to address the racist legacy of highways, competing proposals for the Claiborne Expressway have caused disagreement among stakeholders. The Claiborne Avenue Alliance, a community advocacy group, seeks to remove the expressway, while the approved city-state proposal focuses on repairs and improvements. Meanwhile, a new EPA-funded study is examining the health impacts of the expressway, including noise and air pollution, with the hope of supporting efforts to remove the highway and inform policy decisions. Ultimately, residents like Amy Stelly believe that removal is the only solution to address the harm caused by the expressway.