(The Center Square) — As the Red River Expressway project breaks ground this year, citizens of Shreveport bring noise concerns and speed limit issues to the council.
“I don’t know how a road coming through my neighborhood in Esplanade and between Twelve Oaks is going to improve my quality of life,” Dave Hackney confessed after sharing that the new route project from Bossier City to Caddo aims to do just that.
Hackney is a retired petroleum engineer concerned with the lack of data presented to the public for the project led by Tim James, Inc. While addressing the Shreveport City Council, he requested some traffic data attesting to whether the new road is truly needed.
Recent reports show the project starts this year and is estimated to cost around $115 million. The road will act as a connection between Shreveport and Bossier City.
Tim James, the developer of the project, has worked on similar toll expressways, including the Orange Beach Expressway. As of now, the toll is estimated to be around $2 to $2.50, and enacting a toll allows for the project to be done not at the taxpayer’s expense.
Albert Compton, a former 45-year oil and gas project engineer, agreed with Hackney over concerns. However, his main concern is how close the expressway is being placed to residential property. He told the council that the 45 mph speed limit is too fast for a roadway only 50 feet away from homeowner property lines.
“Since the target traffic for the Red River Express is diesel-driven tractor trailers, multiple studies have found that highways or roadways with this type of traffic located next to residential neighborhoods result in the following: An increase in noise pollution, increase in air pollution, and a decrease in property values,” said Compton.
Compton suggests moving the expressway at least 150 feet from residential lots and reducing the speed from 45 mph to 30 mph in this area.
Taking the new expressway will be an optional route for residents and travelers. The Caddo Parish Commission approved construction in early 2022, and the project is estimated to take around two to three years.
