BATON ROUGE, LA – Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries investigators announced Tuesday that a goose found dead near LSU Lakes was apparently crushed beneath a deteriorating construction sign still displaying the project’s original estimated completion date of 2023.
Officials say the aging plywood sign had reportedly been leaning at a concerning angle for months before finally collapsing during a mild afternoon breeze that witnesses described as “not even strong enough to move a lawn chair.”
“The sign appears to have suffered years of structural weakening from prolonged exposure to project extensions,” said one investigator while examining splintered wood scattered near the shoreline. “Frankly, it had been standing out there longer than some of the nearby trees.”
Residents say the sign had become something of a local landmark over the years, with many assuming it was intentionally preserved as a historical artifact documenting Baton Rouge infrastructure optimism.
Several LSU Lakes geese reportedly gathered nearby following the incident, though wildlife experts say it remains unclear whether they were mourning the loss of one of their own or simply stunned the project still wasn’t finished.
The fallen sign has since been replaced with a newer one reading “Completion Estimate: Probably.”
