Alessandro Seccareccia

My thesis, Old Highway 51 , is a photographic project focused on a low-lying road in southern Louisiana—an area that climate scientists project will be under water within the next 25 years, the victim of rising sea levels and land loss. The original two-lane highway runs parallel to a newly elevated freeway built to resist flooding. In contrast, Old Highway 51 remains vulnerable, with water encroaching on both sides and a surface bearing a cracked pavement. Communities there live directly on the water; many of the houses are built on stilts. As the water level continues to rise, Old Highway 51 represents both a cautionary tale and a place with a resilient culture, community, and history. As climate change accelerates, regions across the country and world will experience similar threats.