Flood Barriers Led to Lawsuit Settlement | Baton Rouge News

In 2016, flooding in Livingston Parish turned deadly when concrete median barriers on I-12 acted like dams, trapping water and devastating neighborhoods like Denham Springs and Walker. Mayors blamed the barriers—and were right. Residents watched cattle drown as water had nowhere to go. In 2017, they sued the contractors. Fast forward to January 2025: the case settled for $21.5 million—with $6.4 million going back to DOTD to retrofit those barriers with drainage gaps. Construction starts in September, wrapping up by late 2026, with leftover funds boosting other local drainage projects. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/13bb41596ee74700