Drainage by Design: Rebuilding Petroleum Parkway from the Ground Up

Drainage drives design

Especially in South Louisiana

Moving water off the road.

In South Louisiana, that’s never simple.

And it’s never optional.

In this on-site walkthrough of the Petroleum Parkway reconstruction, Engineer Josh Laborde, P.E., explains how flat terrain demands early, rigorous drainage analysis. Here, inches of elevation determine whether a roadway performs or fails.

Drainage design sets the framework, guiding decisions long before construction begins:

‣ Mapping elevations and flow paths

‣ Defining drainage basins

‣ Assessing ditch and culvert capacity

‣ Correcting pipe alignment

Once construction is complete, drainage has one job: to move water off the roadway.

By correcting long-standing drainage deficiencies, this project resolves conditions that have challenged Petroleum Parkway for years and strengthens performance across the entire corridor.

The result is infrastructure designed with intention:

‣ Safer travel conditions

‣ Improved stormwater performance

‣ Reduced long-term maintenance

‣ A roadway that functions as designed, even under heavy rainfall

This is the work beneath the surface—analysis and engineering judgment that ensure what’s built above it lasts.

Fenstermaker is proud to support St. Martin Parish Government in delivering infrastructure that protects people, supports industry, and performs when it matters most.