BATON ROUGE - Drivers have dealt with large potholes and bumpy pavement along Nicholson Drive for more than a year - but DOTD officials say the project should be completed by Sept. 7, LSU's first home game. 

"They need to fix this in a timely manner. You have to be careful and really watch your surroundings, because the potholes, they're just everywhere. You got to swerve around them. That's too much," Nevaeh Walker said. 

"It's kind of crazy for the road to look like this considering it's right by LSU's campus," Kevin James said. 

Public information director for DOTD Rodney Mallett says they understand the road is not easy to drive on, but the road is in better shape than what it was in the past. If weather permits, DOTD plans to overlay the pavement with asphalt by LSU's first home game. This will make driving smoother and safer.

"With the first lift of asphalt, our visitors to the first LSU home game will have a nice ride down Nicholson," Mallett said.

Officials say that the project started because the original pavement on Nicholson could no longer sustain weather conditions. With that, the entire road is being redone. Additional drainage, crossovers and driveways still need to be worked on. 

"The additional drainage work will definitely help the flooding in the area and also the multi-use path will definitely help pedestrians along that route," Mallett said.

Mallett also says that the overall project will be finished between the end of this year and early 2025. 

LSU's first home game will be against Nicholls State on Saturday, Sept. 7.