(The Center Square) – A planned privately funded road and tollway over the Red River cleared another hurdle this week after Shreveport officials approved a right-of-way agreement allowing the use of city-owned land needed for the project.
Several residents from a nearby subdivision were unsuccessful in their plea for the city to reject the proposal. Their next opportunity to challenge it could surface through the Metropolitan Planning Commission.
Whether the proposed roadway must come before the planning commission for approval depends on what the project submits to city planning officials and how the unified development code is interpreted.
Alabama-based Red River Expressway plans to construct an eight-mile road and bridge tollway over the Red River from Flournoy Lucas in Caddo Parish to Highway 71 in Bossier Parish at an estimated cost of $115 million, according to project documents.
The developer has stated that the bridge portion is subject to a toll but the roadways on both sides of the river would be open to public use.
Plans to build the new roadway began in 2020. Both Bossier and Caddo parish governments and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development have approved the project. They are now waiting for Army Corps of Engineers approval, according to officials.
The City Council’s unanimous approval allows the project to incorporate a city-owned dedicated corridor for the extension of Highway 3132, called the “the trapezoid” by city officials or “carriageway-boulevard” by project documents.
The preferred route faced vocal opposition at Tuesday’s meeting, because it would traverse or skirt portions of the Esplanade and 12 Oaks subdivisions after moving south from the city-leased land.
“I want to know more details since I’ve invested in this beautiful home,” said Kathryn Beauregard.
“The decision is whether or not to grant the right of way to an out-of-state developer that would permanently and negatively impact the communities of Esplanade and 12 Oaks, which are your constituents,” Jonathan Graham said. “I respectfully ask that you deny it.”
The route includes use of residential parcels within the Esplanade subdivision for a portion of the roadway, according to city officials.
The planning commission’s interim director, Stephen Jean, is unclear what authority the planning agency will have over the project’s possible use of residential lots because an official plan has not been submitted.
“I have not seen officially where this roadway is going,” Jean told The Center Square. “I have not seen any drawings that alter” the planned unit development plans.
“There’s a section in the code that talks about planned unit developments, and triggers in that code that determine when something would have to go back to the board and when things can be done administratively,” he said.
If there are new modifications or alterations to the final site plan, the planning commission would consult the unified development code section 16.9 for guidance.
According to the code, Jean may approve minor amendments to the plan provided they conform to six standards. Otherwise, all other requested modifications to a final site plan require submission as a new preliminary site plan for review and approval, the code says.
“If any of these changes are triggers, then it would go back to the public process,” Jean said. “If not, it does not have to go through a public process.”
