Special to the American Press

As Mardi Gras approaches, the city of Lake Charles reminds businesses, residents and motorists that Public Works personnel, along with local law enforcement agencies, will be placing barricades along the Ryan Street parade route, beginning Thursday.

Ordinance 16489 prohibits street parking during a special event or a parade route in accordance with a designated special event traffic plan. Signs will be posted identifying these “no parking” areas. An unoccupied vehicle in violation may be removed or impounded and the owner and/or operator subject to a citation and fines.

Starting in the downtown area at 8 a.m. on Thursday, barricades will be placed, closing the on-street parking stalls along Ryan Street from Pryce to Clarence streets. Street parking in this area will not be allowed from Thursday through Tuesday following the conclusion of the Krewe of Krewes Parade.

New for 2024, City Public Works crews and local law enforcement agencies will place traffic barricades along the Ryan Street parade route from Clarence Street south to Sale Road on Friday starting at about 5 a.m. Motorists traveling the roadway at this time should use extreme caution, as crews will be placing barricades in the roadway.

Once barricades are placed, traffic along Ryan Street will be restricted to one lane of traffic in each direction in most areas along the route from Friday through the conclusion of the Krewe of Krewes Parade on Tuesday.

Ryan Street will remain open to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and businesses along the route will continue to have access to their locations when parades are not rolling. The route will be completely shut down to all traffic about 30 minutes to one hour before each parade begins.

Motorists should expect slower moving traffic and heavy pedestrian traffic along Ryan Street from Friday through Tuesday.

For The Merchants’ (Friday, Feb. 9), Children’s (Sunday, Feb. 11) and Krewe of Krewes (Tuesday, Feb. 13) parades, floats will all depart Bord du Lac Drive and head north on Lakeshore Drive before turning east onto Pine Street and then continuing south down Ryan Street to Sale Road. Bord du Lac Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic during the parades and their respective line-ups.

On Tuesday, the city of Lake Charles will observe the Mardi Gras Holiday.  Several events, including the Krewe of Krewes Parade, will be held in the city. The following is an overview of activities planned for the day:

• Second Line Stroll Walking Parade – 1 p.m.
• Jeeps on Parade – 2:30 p.m.
• Motor Gras – 3 p.m.
• Krewe of Krewes Parade – 5 p.m.

The Second Line Stroll will begin at Pine and Ryan Streets and travel south down Ryan Street to Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive. Jeeps on Parade and the Motor Gras Parade will begin at Pine and Ryan Streets and travel south down Ryan Street to Sale Road. Bord du Lac Drive will be closed to vehicular traffic during the parades.

On Tuesday, about one hour before the Second Line Stroll Walking Parade, Ryan Street, between Pine and Sallier Streets, will be closed and will remain closed to vehicular traffic until after the Krewe of Krewes parade is concluded.

Immediately following the Krewe of Krewes Parade, Ryan Street, between Pine Street and Sale Road., will remain closed to all traffic so that City Public Works crews can remove barricades, pick up litter and sweep the streets. Law enforcement officers will divert traffic from this section of Ryan Street, which is expected to remain closed for about two hours after the Merchants’, Children’s and Krewe of Krewes parades.