Inside the massive effort to secure New Orleans for the Super Bowl

New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street is being heavily reinforced in the run-up to Sunday’s Super Bowl after a New Year’s Day attack on the busy thoroughfare left 14 people dead and dozens injured.

As law enforcement and security personnel finalize preparations for the NFL championship game, approximately 3,000 officers from agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the Louisiana State Police will be stationed throughout the French Quarter and surrounding areas.

New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick announced this week that Bourbon Street would be closed to traffic from at least 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. in light of the Jan. 1 attack, in which a man plowed a pickup truck into the celebratory crowd gathered along the street.

City officials said security barriers that were intended to protect pedestrians from vehicles had been removed for replacement.

She said the decision to close off the street to vehicles during Super Bowl week came after meetings with French Quarter business owners about the potential impact the move could spur.

“You’ll see more and more restrictions as more tourists come into town to enjoy our fabulous city,” Kirkpatrick said this week at a news conference. “No traffic will be allowed and we are going to be blocking every single intersection that feeds into Bourbon Street.”