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Lakeview road rebuilt more than foot higher than residents' driveways, yards

About a half dozen homes on the street now find themselves up to 1 1/2 feet below the new raised roadway.

NEW ORLEANS — Among the many pothole filled streets in Lakeview Neighborhood of New Orleans now being resurfaced or rebuilt is 22nd Street, between Fleur de Lis Drive and Pontchartrain Boulevard.

But, there's a major problem there.

About a half dozen homes on the street now find themselves up to 1 1/2 feet below the new raised roadway.

"I questioned them when they built this so high, and I was told it's because I'm the lowest part of the street," Lakeview neighbor Evelyn Redmann said.

Redmann's yard is now about 18 inches lower than the road in front of her house.

The 87-year-old has lived in the 200 block of 22nd street since 1965.

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"The city will be responsible, from what I understand, from the sidewalk to the street and that's not going to give me a slope of a driveway and I'm also concerned how I'm going to be able to drain water," Redmann said.

Redmann has reached out to both the city and her city councilman Joe Giarusso's office, seeking answers.

She said it doesn't appear they have any solution to keeping water out of her yard.

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"I'm really concerned about severe flooding here because it can't get to the drain," Redmann said. "Right now, my land is so much lower than the street." 

On Tuesday afternoon, city officials released a statement saying front yards and driveways will be filled and raised to meet the new roadway. 

"The City is aware of this issue. The roadway on 22nd Street was raised to accommodate both the required slope for positive drainage as well as the existing shallow water lines," the statement said. 

"DPW is in the process of verifying the new elevations to ensure that the roadway was constructed to the design elevation. The front yards and driveways that have been affected will be corrected and filled to accommodate the new grade of the roadway as part of this project."

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