AmSouth bank tower - Shreveport

[dimebag1980]

This has got to be the best photo I have EVER seen of this building!! This is the exact photo I would take if I could get in the building across the street! This photo, along with the others I have amassed over time, may now afford me the opportunity to finally draw this building accurately.

[NCB]

That's definately the best photo I've ever seen of that building!

I really like the arhcitecture used in the AmSouth Tower, and the top look's great, especially at night!

[richyb83]

I have always like that AmSouth Bldg. It's a landmark for sure !

I like that older sleek building to the right , on the same block too !

[NCB]

I like that older sleek building to the right , on the same block too !

Same here, I really like that one.

[dimebag1980]

Same here, I really like that one.

That is also the Amsouth building. The smaller building was there first (of course) and has a digital clock on top (that's the big black box.) Later, the taller, more modern building was constructed and they connected them through an enclosed common area. In essence it's one building, but in two parts constructed in two totally different generations.

[NCB]

^As I look now I see that they are connected, I didn't notice that the first time I looked at the picture. Very interesting, thanks for the info, supkof!

[dimebag1980]

^As I look now I see that they are connected, I didn't notice that the first time I looked at the picture. Very interesting, thanks for the info, supkof!

No problem, mon. FYI - the smaller of the two buildings you will likely hear referred to as the CNB building by some. Those same people may even call the newer one the CNB building as well. This is because they were originally built as Commercial National Bank. The digital clock used to read "CNB" plus the time and temperature. People used to set their clocks by that large clock. I remember one of my best friends, just out of high school, rented a loft downtown. Every morning when he'd open the blinds on the 10-foot-tall windows of his AWESOME loft (I was so jealous of him) he could see the time and temp immediately.

[richyb83]

That sounds cool !

A couple of Summer's ago (04')I got the chance to stay in Shreveport for almost a week going to a workshop . I made sure one evening I drove around the area . I really enjoyed the loops and by-passes ! I also really enjoyed cruising on the Parkway along the Red River , that was nice .

[dimebag1980]

That sounds cool !

A couple of Summer's ago (04')I got the chance to stay in Shreveport for almost a week going to a workshop . I made sure one evening I drove around the area . I really enjoyed the loops and by-passes ! I also really enjoyed cruising on the Parkway along the Red River , that was nice .

I've met businessmen from Baton Rouge, while here for seminars, make mention of our loops. They always say we must have some good lobbying power... and I believe they're right. Afterall, even Baton Rouge doesn't have a bypass... YET. But I see I-410 has been reproposed, so hopefully that will get built. I know the state has a lot on its agenda, as far as interstate highway construction is concerned. You guys down there really need a loop, so I hope it works out. I know our Inner Loop serves its purpose... you can drive on it at rush hour and it's jam-packed... as are I-49 and I-20. I can only imagine what traffic on I-49 and I-20 would be like without the Inner Loop. Our Outer Loop (Bert Kouns,) I'm afraid, will never become more than just a circular thoroughfare around Shreveport. It wasn't planned right, so rather than an actual "freeway" like 3132/220, it's more like just a wide street that circles the southern and western sides of Shreveport. One of these days, though, we're going to need yet another loop about 10 miles further out from I-220 to service the northern and southern reaches of the area where all the new growth is occurring now.

[NCB]

One of these days, though, we're going to need yet another loop about 10 miles further out from I-220 to service the northern and southern reaches of the area where all the new growth is occurring now.

Do you think another proposed loop would be approved?

[dimebag1980]

Do you think another proposed loop would be approved?

I highly doubt it... at least not for another 20-30 years. I feel the demand is at least another 15 years away, because until then, 220 should work. It will eventually be stressed, but it will work.

[NCB]

^Have there been any plans to extend 220 to make it a full loop around the city?

[dimebag1980]

^Have there been any plans to extend 220 to make it a full loop around the city?

Yes, BUT there are flaws with the proposed extension. As you may know, I-220 extends from east Bossier/Haughton (where I live) to far west Shreveport, not far from the Texas border. At its western junction at I-20, the Inner Loop Expressway (3132) picks up and completes the partial loop all the way to the Bert Kouns (Industrial Loop) expressway. Right now 3132 is being extended from Bert Kouns to Fluornoy-Lucas Rd and Fluornoy-Lucas is being widened to 5 lanes to accomodate the recent residential boom in that area.

Okay now... here is where flaw #1 comes into play. The plan which has been discussed for the last few years was to extend the Inner Loop all the way to Louisiana Hwy 1 at the port. Somehow, for now at least, that has been scaled back and the freeway will end at Fluornoy-Lucas Rd. Stupid mistake if you ask me, but nobody asked my opinion. This will not only add to the already insane recent traffic problems on Fluornoy-Lucas, between south Youree Drive and Ellerbe Road, but will give the state more reason to postpone the Fluornoy-Lucas to Hwy. 1 extension. They see it as if this will suffice, but in my opinion, it's going to do nothing but hurt the residents of south Shreveport and all the newer suburban areas south of Shreveport.

Once completed to the port, the freeway would then be extended to cross the Red River into the newer suburban areas of south Bossier, easing the burden on the Jimmie Davis Bridge and cutting commute times quite a bit for thousands of people. Then I-69 was proposed, and as it now looks, I-69 will create the bridge over the Red River, linking suburban south Caddo/north DeSoto with suburban south Bossier. Now 3132 will only have to be extended to I-69, thus delaying this extension for up to 20 years while I-69 is being built.

Okay, the biggest flaw of all... many of our state's decision-makers apparently lack the ability to be realistic. The current eastern terminus of I-220 is in the east Bossier area, just west of the town of Haughton. As it stands, I-220 dead-ends at I-20, not far from Barksdale Air Force Base. Until such a time that Barksdale either (1) shuts down or (2) cuts back on its nuclear weapons storage and decides to sell off its eastern nuclear reservation, I-220 will not be extended beyond its current eastern terminus. It was a huge mistake for the freeway to end where it does. It could have been extended an extra 5 miles to the town of Haughton and completely bypassed Barksdale altogether. Not only would this make an extension possible, but would also help it tie into the proposed I-69 which, as we now know, will cut through the east side of the town of Haughton. Now, the only way to tie I-220 in with I-69 would be to build a spur from the existing I-220 near Stockwell Road in east Bossier, all the way to the I-69 freeway in Haughton. Otherwise, someone traveling from northeast Bossier to south Bossier on the loop will be forced to get off I-220 at I-20, travel down I-20 for a few miles to the I-69 interchange, and THEN take I-69 south. Can we say "CRAZY?"

[NCB]

....

Can we say "CRAZY?"

Yea, that seems crazy to me.

It looks like there were some design flaws in I-220, but you guys are just lucky to have a loop at all.

[dimebag1980]

Yea, that seems crazy to me.

It looks like there were some design flaws in I-220, but you guys are just lucky to have a loop at all.

Aside from the eastern terminus of I-220 not being in a logical location, the biggest design flaw along the entire 220/3132 corridor is where the two meet at I-20. That curve is so sharp that 18-wheelers flip there fairly regularly.

[NCB]

One thing I was jealous of when I was driving around NW Louisiana was the quality of the interstates, especially I-49 coming into Shreveport. The roads in many places where 10 times better than most of the major highways around SE Louisiana. Parts of I-10 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans for example, are so bumpy that your lucky if you can go 10 miles without hitting your head on the roof of your car. Actually, that could be said for the entire I-10 through Louisiana. Parts of I-49 around Lafayette are starting to get bad as well.

FYI, I-10 in Louisiana was voted as the worst highway in the United States in 2005, and Louisiana was voted as the state with the 3rd worst roads in the nation. Here is a link to the topic about this in the Louisiana forum

[NCB]

Here is what I'm talking about, nice, smooth, highway

^It's nearly impossible to find that in south Louisiana right now.

[dimebag1980]

It certainly hasn't always been that good around here. The only reason I-49 through Shreveport is in such good shape is because it's still a fairly new freeway. 3132 is one bumpy road as is I-20 between Bossier City and Haughton. Actually, the only DECENT stretches of I-20 through Shreveport/Bossier are from Isle of Capri Blvd, through downtown, to about Greenwood Rd. From Greenwood Rd all the way to Monkhouse Rd is horrible. After that, you have a brand-new, wider road surface all the way past Pines Rd to near Greenwood... then it gets bad again. They're supposed to finish upgrading the I-20 freeway through this area, but as with anything in Louisiana, that's going to take quite a while.

Of course, I-10 is the most heavily-traveled interstate in the country... so I'm not at all surprised it's so bad. Can you imagine if they had to shut down half of that bridge over the Atchafalaya Basin in order to repave it? Wow, what a mess that would be!

Don't let I-49 and the nice stretches of I-20 fool you... most of the back roads around here are so bad you literally have to swerve around the potholes.

[richyb83]

Just curious ? Would the different soil south Louisiana be part of the reason the roads do not hold up as well, causing poorer quality in time ?

This past summer in BR where major construction on I-10 has been taking place , they ran into problems that delayed the project . A first for BR where frontages roads along I-10 are elevated overpasses on the retaining walls had actually sunk;and problems concrete not properly mixed for the elements causing large cracks .

North Louisiana's soil is a harder clay , am I right ? I-49 seemed smooth btwn. Alexandria and Opelousas .

[NCB]

most of the back roads around here are so bad you literally have to swerve around the potholes.

Yea, that seems to fit the description of a normal Louisiana road.

[dimebag1980]

Just curious ? Would the different soil south Louisiana be part of the reason the roads do not hold up as well, causing poorer quality in time ?

This past summer in BR where major construction on I-10 has been taking place , they ran into problems that delayed the project . A first for BR where frontages roads along I-10 are elevated overpasses on the retaining walls had actually sunk;and problems concrete not properly mixed for the elements causing large cracks .

North Louisiana's soil is a harder clay , am I right ? I-49 seemed smooth btwn. Alexandria and Opelousas .

Yes. The soil in south Louisiana is much more sandy and is easily washed out. Not to mention the difference in the location of the water table, considering so much of south Louisiana is right at or below sea level. North Louisiana is a nice, hard red clay... but even that clay takes a beating. The biggest problem with our clay is that it literally "rolls" underneath a road surface. Engineers in this area have to figure for a certain amount of roll within the clay here when engineering a road surface.

[richyb83]

Wow ! That's interesting stuff , thanks .

[bigboyz05]

Hey supkof are any new towers proposed for downtown Shreveport or Bossier?

[dimebag1980]

Hey supkof are any new towers proposed for downtown Shreveport or Bossier?

The only thing proposed is a 10-15 story hotel for the Boardwalk on the Bossier side. Right now, though, the 12-story Hilton convention center hotel is under construction and should change add to the skyline on the northern end.

[bigboyz05]

That's cool! I can't wait to see the skyline once those projects are completed.