Claiborne Avenue can be divided into three general sections as it winds through the city, following the curves of the
Mississippi River.
The Crescent For the first few miles in the city coming from Jefferson Parish, Claiborne Avenue is part of
U.S. Highway 90; before crossing the parish line it is called
Jefferson Highway. Highway 90 shifts to Broad Street as it meanders its way out of New Orleans toward
Slidell, while Claiborne continues towards the
Central Business District. The section from Jefferson Parish to the large interchange at
Earhart Boulevard and
Interstate 10 visibly follows the crescent in the river, from about a mile inland, that gives New Orleans its nickname. For this stretch, the street is six lanes, three in each direction, with a
neutral ground in the middle. It passes through a mix of residential and commercial districts.
Through the Treme The oldest section of Claiborne Avenue runs through the
Tremé neighborhood; in several phases there had been a street named for Governor Claiborne since the neighborhood was first developed in the early nineteenth century. The wide neutral ground was lined with
southern live oak trees, and the public green space served as a center of congregation for the area's primarily
African-American residents. The Claiborne intersection at Orleans Avenue, in the heart of Treme, remains a primary meeting ground for the
Mardi Gras Indians. This stretch of Claiborne is primarily commercial, with residential neighborhoods throughout the adjacent blocks. It traditionally served as an important African-American shopping district, a counterweight to
Canal Street, which catered to the white community. For three blocks, Claiborne also passes the old
Saint Louis Cemetery Number 2 in this section.
Overshadowed by I-10 Claiborne Avenue was once a neutral ground and main street for
Tremé, the oldest
African-American neighborhood in the United States. In the 1950s, this avenue served as a community space lined with large oak trees and azalea gardens. During
Carnival season, families would camp out, barbecue, and wait for the
Mardi Gras parades to pass by.—a pharmacy, a doctor, a dentist, a chiropractor, check cashing and banking, and a place to buy school uniforms. To much opposition from the neighborhood residents, a six-lane elevated
Interstate-10 was constructed on Claiborne Avenue in 1969. over the
Industrial Canal In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many have called for the removal of the I-10 Claiborne overpass, rerouting I-10 to the
I-610 corridor. Supporters cite the structure's need for costly repairs and damage it has caused and continues to cause to what could potentially be a thriving urban neighborhood. Opponents argue that the overpass' removal would cause great inconvenience to the residents of New Orleans East and potentially require unwanted and intrusive expansion of the I-610 corridor. The September 14, 2009, draft of the New Orleans Master Plan called for the study and eventual removal of the overpass, though the Plan as adopted in 2010 did not contain such language.
Toward St. Bernard Parish At St. Bernard Avenue (not to be confused with the parish), Claiborne and the Interstate part as the street continues to follow the river. It becomes a four-lane divided street, and then the eastbound (downriver) lanes separate from Claiborne to join North Robertson, a one-way street, through the upper
Ninth Ward. At this point Claiborne Avenue is technically only the westbound side, a block away. The two rejoin at the
Claiborne Avenue Bridge over the
Industrial Canal, and the street continues through the
Lower Ninth Ward to St. Bernard Parish, where it becomes Judge Perez Drive. ==See also==