The Bossier City Council discussed work on Arthur Ray Teague Parkway that may shape the future development of south Bossier.  

The council discussed a series of on and off ramps to Teague Parkway the city hopes will curb early morning and late afternoon congestion at the intersection east of the Jimmie Davis Bridge on Jimmie Davis Highway.
One of the off ramps, with an estimated cost of $1.2 million, would allow northbound pedestrians to exit to Zach Ave., which becomes CenturyTel Center Drive after crossing Jimmie Davis Highway.

“For southbound traffic on the parkway you can get off and come up to the intersection on 511 (Jimmie Davis Highway) — you can take a right to go to Shreveport or left and go to Highway 511,” said Mark Hudson, Bossier City engineer.

Other planned ramps include a safety ramp, with an estimated cost of $2 million, which would allow travelers from Shreveport to exit off Jimmie Davis directly to Teague Parkway. Bossier engineers also proposed a slip ramp before Jimmie Davis allowing westbound travelers to exit from Jimmie Davis Highway to Teague Parkway before the bridge.

“With this ramp, the biggest benefit I can see is people can exit the parkway, then take a right on 511 and head east much more efficiently than being on CenturyTel waiting for that stop light and trying to turn left because it does not stay green for very long,” said Councilman Scott Irwin.

“I don’t know if you guys know this, but the traffic on CenturyTel will often back up to Walker Road.”

Plans for the on and off ramps will work into the City’s current construction of an extension of Teague, taking the parkway under the bridge to the city limits.

However, some council members expressed concerns regarding the off ramp and safety ramps location, placing the roads next to the Plantation Trace subdivision. Councilmen expressed concerns the new roads would bring excess street noise to a quiet area.

Hudson proposed putting in a sound barrier for the six houses effected by the ramps, however at a cost of $1,000 per foot of barrier, many felt this would not prove cost efficient.  Instead, the city may rely on fencing or trees already growing near the property to curb the noise.

All plans remain contingent on whether the Bossier Parish Police Jury can complete negotiations on a land purchase with the Gracin Estate which the Jury will need for a land swap with the United States Wildlife and Fisheries.

“Just last Wednesday, [Police Jury] made great progress with the Gracins which is the key to satisfying [USWF].

Those obstacles should be out of the way sometime in September and they should open up bids for the latter part of this year or early next year,” said Jimmy Hall, Bossier City attorney.

In a previous interview Bill Altimus, Bossier Parish Police Jury Administrator, updated the Parish’s negotiations with the Gracins.

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