$100 Million for New Jimmie Davis Bridge Passes in Louisiana

Good news today for folks in south Shreveport and Bossier City. Lawmakers wrap things up for the 2021 session and that $100 million dollars earmarked for a new  Jimmie Davis bridge is approved.

DOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson told KEEL News if this money stayed in the budget and was signed by the Governor (which he has done), work could start on the new bridge within the next 2 years. You can see our interview from earlier this month with Dr. Wilson by clicking here.

Wilson tells us the plan now is to build a new 4-lane Jimmie Davis Bridge next to the old one. He says it will actually be quicker to build a brand new structure.
Once the new bridge is complete, what will happen with the old bridge?

Dr. Wilson says the existing bridge could be turned into a bike/pedestrian bridge. But he adds:

It could be retained as a linear park for walking, biking, etc, but it would need local sponsors. That is not something the state operates and maintains. We could participate in the establishment of such a park provided resources are available.

The money for the new JDB will be coming from federal dollars that are flowing into Louisiana from the American Rescue Plan.

Lawmakers also ok'd a measure to redirect most of the sales tax you pay on car sales to our state's roads and bridges. This will bring in as much as $300 million a year which we can use to work to catch up on a $15 billion dollar backlog of projects that have gone unfunded.