BATON ROUGE - A few inches of rainwater Friday afternoon turned Nicholson Drive into a splashpad, and drivers did not hold back in expressing their frustration about the lack of progress on the overlay project.

"There's nobody working on the project. There's no machinery, there's no employees. And I don't know when this is going to be over with," Gus Ruiz, a driver, said.

It's been more than a year since the project began to re-pave and add sidewalks to Nicholson between LSU and I-10. In December, we reported that the project was stalled when crews discovered additional drainage work was needed. 

"It seems like planning is not a priority for the State Department of Transportation," Ruiz said. 

Construction equipment and traffic cones lay scattered all along the roadway. Trash floated in the pools of water on the side of the road that accumulated from Friday's storms. 

"It's significant. The amount of water that's accumulated here, it's almost laughable to be honest with you," Ruiz said. 

Months ago, Ruiz said he had to replace his tire because of the rough conditions on the roadway. 

According to LaDOTD, asphalt is coming soon and the project is on track to be complete by the start of LSU football, which was a self-imposed deadline. If the work is not done, LaDOTD says there will not be any lane closures on LA 30 on game days. 

The first LSU home game is September 7. Ruiz doesn't believe the work will finish in seven weeks. 

"It's an embarrassment for folks who come to LSU to do a college visit or to attend a sporting event," Ruiz said.