Ouachita Parish, LA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 19-4 of the Ouachita Parish Code governs every cut, crossing, or facility placed in, on, or about a parish street or road right-of-way, whether for a utility line, a driveway culvert tie-in, or any other private encroachment. Subsection (b) requires a permit from the director of public works or a designee before any cutting, and bars construction in the right-of-way even when the applicant already holds a franchise. Work that touches the traveled surface or shoulder, such as a bridge, culvert, or crossing over a parish ditch or canal, needs a separate special permit under subsection (c) and must follow the director's rules and specifications.

Every applicant deposits security with the parish secretary-treasurer before work starts: $10.00 per square foot for cutting a street or road, $0.50 per linear foot for facilities installed within the right-of-way, and an added $100.00 for boring or jacking beneath the right-of-way (subsection (d)). The deposit can be cash, a cashier's or certified check, or a bond, and it is returned only after the director approves the restoration work.

Applications go to the director of public works in writing, describing the work, the reason for it, and the estimated time needed, backed by plans showing the material quantities involved (subsection (e)). Once work is done, the permittee must restore the road, street, or right-of-way to its prior condition within the permit's time limit (subsection (h)); if restoration is not completed, the parish can do the work itself and bill the permit holder (subsection (i)). Overhead aerial utility crossings are exempt from the permit and deposit rules if their supporting structures sit outside the right-of-way or no more than six feet inside it (subsection (m)).