Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Priorities Shreveport topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Shreveport leaders press DOTD for I‑20 lighting, bridge repairs and debate I‑49 inner‑city connector
Summary
Local officials and residents urged DOTD to prioritize lighting, sound wall repairs, and improvements around the Jimmy Davis Bridge and 70th Street; several residents and neighborhood advocates urged against the proposed I‑49 inner‑city connector, citing community impacts and federal legal constraints.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux of Shreveport opened public comment by asking DOTD to increase funding for lighting along the western portion of Interstate 20, repair aging sound walls along residential areas and prioritize maintenance on 70th Street, a gateway corridor to the Jimmy Davis Bridge.
"I would like...you to consider increasing that funding so that we could have the lighting along I‑20," Arceneaux said, noting a local bond passed in 2024 includes matching funds. He also asked DOTD to consider the regional importance of Kings Highway for medical and economic access and to help where feasible.
Several local speakers echoed Arceneaux’s emphasis on the I‑20 corridor. Jeffrey Goodman, CEO of the Committee of 100, recommended aesthetic and functional upgrades—removing chain‑link fencing, replacing sound barriers, upgrading lighting and installing signage to highlight major local institutions.
A separate, more contested thread of comments focused on the long‑debated I‑49 inner‑city connector. Bill Robertson told the committee the 3.5‑mile connector is costly and risks damaging vulnerable neighborhoods, and he suggested the existing 3132 loop could serve traffic needs without building a new elevated connector.
Dosite John Perkins, speaking for the Allendale neighborhood, framed the opposition in legal and health terms. He cited two federal constraints—he referenced the mid‑1960s transportation legislation and the 1966 National Environmental Policy Act—and argued that interstate‑scale projects historically have harmed minority neighborhoods and that federal law makes such projects difficult to pursue.
DOTD staff answered that environmental reviews and FHWA coordination are active components of the process. Secretary Dauphine told the committee the I‑49 environmental impact study is progressing, that FHWA has been engaged in Washington, and that DOTD hopes to publish a draft environmental impact statement and hold a public meeting, leading toward a record of decision next year.
Legislators pressed DOTD for precise start and letting dates for local resurfacing and corridor projects; DOTD representatives said some projects are under contract and in mobilization or paperwork phases and pledged follow‑up with district‑level schedules for constituents.
