Acadian Thruway Medians

True stewardship doesn’t have an expiration date, as the pictures and articles from the past 40 years below demonstrate.

Way back in 1990, Baton Rouge Green took on the landscape improvements of the Acadian Thruway medians between Government Street and Florida Blvd. in MidCity as one of our first projects after we were founded. This involved the removal of concrete and installation of Indian Hawthorne shrubs (oof) and Bradford Pear trees (double oof) along this busy corridor. For 30+ years, the trees stood and provided shade, greenery, blooms and at least some aesthetic break in the concrete. In 2018 it was clear that what remained of the trees on the site were well beyond their productive years.

So in 2019, The Baton Rouge General planted the seed to transform this stretch of dying trees and concrete and create our 22nd active Living Roadways site. With their generous gift, work began to completely renovate this space. We partnered with East Baton Rouge City-Parish Department of Public Works to remove concrete to expand beds and install root barrier. Then the BR Green Team and contractors (Bayou and Me-Moes) installed a palette of native shrubs and trees, e.g., Itea, Dahoon Holly and Mayhaw. The primary goal this time was ecological enhancement and big improvements to stormwater management, BUT the beautification has been an incredible byproduct!

Because Murphy's Law - shortly after planting, a vehicle involved in a police chase promptly destroyed half of the new plants and trees and rutted the fresh soil and mulch. We salvaged what we could, replanted what we could, and continued to evolve our care of the site to adapt to today’s needs.

Over the years, we’ve had to manage for drought, additional vehicular “interactions”, and just this Spring we identified a new problem - an armored scale insect infestation on some of our Mayhaw trees - which our entomologist-turned-arborist team member Devon Brits treated with success.

There is no such thing as a maintenance-free landscape. But like any other investment, trees and green spaces require nurturing and resources to thrive and reach their potential. To be enjoyed, they must be cared for. Thanks to ongoing support from Baton Rouge General, we can continue to manage the Acadian medians.

Here’s to seeing this space grow, evolve, and impact this part of the city for another 4 decades. And thanks to partners like the Baton Rouge General and EBR’s DPW Dept of Maintenance, the BR Green Team will be here to tackle whatever comes next.

Thanks again to our champion site sponsor, Baton Rouge General Health!