Illuminating Bayou Terrebonne: Houma Restoration District announces new Bayou Walk Lighting Project

Downtown Houma’s bayou walk is about to get a lot brighter!

The Houma Restoration District is excited to announce the launch of their new Bayou Walk Lighting Project, which will oversee the installation of several layers of lights along Bayou Terrebonne in downtown Houma.

The Houma Restoration District was founded in 2022 to invest in the economic development, economic preservation, and cultural restoration of downtown Houma. The commission provides business outreach, ordinance reforms, and public projects, such as the $500,000 Bayou Walk Lighting Project.

“We originally identified a need for better lighting on the bayou to provide safety, but we were also inspired by the success of the Rotary Centennial Plaza’s new lights and how many people that attracted,” said Noah Lirette with the Houma Restoration District. “We wanted to do the same thing, but along the water.”

There will be three levels of lighting installed: String lights spanning light pole-to-light pole along the walk, guard rail lighting on the pedestrian bridges, and bayou-level LED lights with color changing options and festive sequences.

The project is currently underway as of April 25, 2025, and is estimated to be completed by Fall of 2025. The Houma Restoration District is entirely state-funded, with no local taxpayer dollars used (as per House Bill No. 780 by former Representative Tanner Magee).

“It’s great to see this project come to fruition. I feel like we have made a lot of strides in revitalizing the downtown area since Hurricane Ida,” continued Lirette. “We have a lot of momentum, and it is very rewarding to continue moving that ball down the field until we get to that point where downtown is truly vibrant once again.”

For further information and updates, please visit the Houma Restoration District on Facebook.