Benton Road Overpass

[dimebag1980]

I went out to eat in Bossier on Monday night and it looked as if they were beginning construction of the Benton Road overpass, so I looked it up and here's what I found:

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...D=2006602270309

Apparently construction should be starting about now.

For anyone not familiar with this project, this is a long-overdue project to alleviate congestion along Benton Road when a train is going by (which is nearly constant.) The city is building a mile-long overpass from E. Texas St (Hwy 80) to near I-20 to bypass the worst section of Benton Road.

[NCB]

The city is building a mile-long overpass from E. Texas St (Hwy 80) to near I-20 to bypass the worst section of Benton Road.

Wow!

I believe I heard about this project awhile back on my way up to Texarkana, how long has it been in the works?

[dimebag1980]

Wow!

I believe I heard about this project awhile back on my way up to Texarkana, how long has it been in the works?

I couldn't tell you for sure, but probably at least 10 years... but it's bee most seriously worked on within the past 5 years. This project has become a huge necessity, given all the recent traffic in Bossier City and considering almost every single major thoroughfare in Bossier City has railroad tracks cutting across it. Take a look at a Bossier City map sometime and look at all the railroad tracks. Bossier never planned for the kind of growth it's experiencing today, simply because it had always been a small farm town/bedroom community of Shreveport. It was the redheaded stepchild of the area and was often overlooked, so its infrastructure is still lacking... but they're working on it.

Speaking of infrastructure, I read an article yesterday that mentions the Bossier Parkway extension plans. The city still wants to tie it in with I-220 on the north and Sligo Road on the south, whereas right now it just extends from CenturyTel Center to the casino district. The problem with the southern extension from CenturyTel Center to Sligo Road is, that area is now considered part of the RRNWR (Red River National Wildlife Refuge,) and when it was designated as such, there was no right-of-way for the parkway planned. So now it could be at least 2 years before the federal government even grants it a right-of-way. On the bright side, the northern extension is still in the works and plans are moving along. For now they want to extend it from the Isle of Capri Casino to East Texas St in front of the Boardwalk, easing traffic considerably in that area.

[dimebag1980]

Nothing's ever perfect. Sometimes in order to make progress, things must slow down in the meantime. I'm just glad I rarely ever drive this stretch of Benton Road. All I can say is, Benton Road commuters... you're just getting a taste of what Airline Drive commuters have been putting up with on a daily basis for years.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...EWS01/604240314

[NCB]

^Yea, that looks like one of those situations where you just have to hope the outcome in the end makes the current problems worthwhile, or at least a little bit easier to bear.

[dimebag1980]

^Yea, that looks like one of those situations where you just have to hope the outcome in the end makes the current problems worthwhile, or at least a little bit easier to bear.

No doubt the end result will be awesome. The city of Bossier really needs better infrastructure, and with railroads criss-crossing the city from every angle, the best option is going to be to be to spend millions... maybe even billions... over the next decade or two to counteract this problem. The sooner the better, if you ask me.

I know many people in Bossier City would disagree with me, but I personally think the best thing that can be done to combat traffic in this area would be to make both Airline and Benton one-way streets. It would be a pain in the beginning, but people would get used to it and would absolutely love the freedom of being able to actually drive on 5-lane, one-way roads. It works in cities like Arlington, TX, and it could work here.