Dive Brief:
- Construction is slated to begin in May on the Jimmie Davis Bridge over Red River between Bossier and Caddo parishes near Shreveport, the Louisiana DOT announced. The goal of the $361.7 million project is to improve traffic flow and congestion as well as safety along state Route 511.
- The Louisiana DOT tapped Baton Rouge-based James Construction Group as general contractor for the design-build project, which is set to open to traffic in early 2027 and be fully complete by early 2028.
- Work entails a new four-lane span that will be built just north of the existing 50-year-old, two-lane structure. The roadway on each side of the new bridge will also be widened and reconstructed to accommodate four lanes of traffic, and will include a raised median and three new median openings for U-turns.
Dive Insight:
In addition to the new bridge and road work, the existing span will be rehabilitated and transformed into a linear park that will connect into the park and trail system in Bossier and Caddo parishes. It will provide bicycle and pedestrian crossings over the Red River, as well as a trail extension to Hamel Memorial Park, according to the Louisiana DOT.
Lafayette, Louisiana-based Huval & Associates is the main designer for the project. Preconstruction work began in December 2023.
The project will be completed in phases, per the Louisiana DOT. Phase 1 work will include installation of access roads and temporary trestle bridges to facilitate the construction of the new bridge, construction of temporary and permanent pavement to accommodate traffic in later phases, parkway ramp construction and new drainage and pavement on the north side of Route 511.
The project was defunded amid a budget dispute in June 2023 after a small group of lawmakers removed about $140 million designated for it, according to the Shreveport Times. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards' CFO Jay Dardenne said that won't delay the start of construction, but the money will have to be replaced in 2024.
Work is being funded with state money as well as through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.
