Bourbon Street To Reopen Prior To Sugar Bowl, New Orleans Mayor Says

Bourbon Street will return to normal in time for the Sugar Bowl on Thursday ... with the New Orleans Mayor expecting full operation prior to kickoff -- one day after the New Year's terrorist attack.

The Georgia vs. Notre Dame matchup slated to go down at the Caesars Superdome on Jan. 1 was postponed in the wake of the tragedy that killed 14 people ... and while some officials have called for more time for the community to heal, the game will go down Thursday at 1 PM PT.

With thousands of football fans in town for the College Football Playoff contest, mayor LaToya Cantrell told reporters the iconic French Quarter street will be available to those looking to watch the action from the venues in the area.

Cantrell revealed clean-up on the street started early Thursday morning ... and concluded around 8 AM.

Cantrell said the city is confident the public will remain safe not just for the football game -- but in the future as well.

There will be additional safety measures in place ... with officials installing new barriers and hiring more police officers to patrol the streets.

Earlier in the day, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said her division is going to have help from all levels of law enforcement ... and they're treating Thursday's game as if it were the Super Bowl, which will be held in the same city in February.

As we previously reported, at least 14 are dead after Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into the crowd early New Year's Day ... and dozens were injured.