Bossier City committee reviews capital outlay requests, Hamilton Road and corridor projects

The Bossier City Infrastructure Committee on Oct. 28 reviewed the city’s capital‑outlay and supplemental project requests, including plans for Hamilton Road, a proposed widening of Viking Drive and several intersection and signal upgrades.

Committee leadership opened the 1:30 p.m. meeting saying "we will not be taking any public comment today," and that the session's purpose was to assemble recommendations for the full council and the city's legislative delegation in Baton Rouge.

Miss Nottingham, who presented the capital‑outlay packet, said two initial projects have received partial funding but require continued submissions until they are fully funded. She said Hamilton Road was added to the capital list and emphasized that many projects in the packet are intended to be "shovel ready" so the city's delegation can request line‑item funding during the legislative session.

Committee members discussed coordination with the railroad for Hamilton Road, with one member warning against advancing design work without confirming right‑of‑way width and railroad approval. Miss Nottingham said early design funding (often a small percentage for design in a given year) can start conversations with the railroad and allow later modification if needed. She noted state capital dollars tied to the 2026 fiscal year would not be available to the city until that year.

The committee discussed several corridor projects intended to relieve pressure on Airline Drive and Benton Road: a Viking Drive expansion to a five‑lane section with shoulders, an Airline Drive segment upgrade between Bean Boulevard and Viking Drive, and signal/intersection improvements at Northgate and Patricia tied to an LTAP sidewalk grant. Miss Nottingham said the Northgate work would add ADA curbs, push buttons and audible pedestrian signals.

Officials also described supplemental requests that have been or could be submitted as line‑item appropriations rather than through the general capital‑outlay process. The committee noted a recent $450,000 line‑item appropriation for Wimpel Drive intersection upgrades and discussed a proposed $250,000 supplemental request to fund left‑turn signals and controller upgrades at key intersections.

The meeting included multiple public comments from nearby residents about potholes and local access issues; the committee said routine potholes would be patched and that any full panel replacements would await the broader reconstructions being scoped and funded.

The committee did not take votes; members said projects and requests would be forwarded to the full council and the city’s legislative delegation for further action.