$100 million toll bridge connecting Shreveport and Bossier City to begin construction soon

Meredith G. White, Shreveport Times
·2 min read

In an attempt to alleviate traffic issues in South Caddo and Bossier, Alabama-based company Tim James Inc. is planning to build a privately funded toll bridge. The company is awaiting permit approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard.

During Tuesday's city council meeting, a representative of Tim James Inc., William Bradford, gave more information on the construction.

"We have, over the last three years now, planned to develop and construct a toll road, really a toll bridge, across the Red River," Bradford explained. "It will be located just south of 3132 headed towards Bossier, crossing into Bossier Parish and landing in Bossier Parish and taking it out to Hwy 271."

The special meeting Shreveport city council called on Friday, January 6, 2023, at Government Plaza.
The special meeting Shreveport city council called on Friday, January 6, 2023, at Government Plaza.

Bradford said there will be additional roads connected and with the project being privately funded taxpayer dollars will not be used.

"We will be working closely with the Port as an agent through this process as it has a direct impact on the success of the Port as well," Bradford continued.

Raymond James is serving as the underwriter on the project with Texas-based KSA leading the construction management from their Shreveport office. Evans-Graves Engineers will serve as the design engineering and environmental leads on the toll bridge.

"We have secured the required cooperative endeavor agreements between Tim James, Inc. and the Parish of Caddo as well as the Parish of Bossier," explained Bradford. "Those are statutorily required cooperative endeavor agreements; those allow us to construct and fund the road."

It will cost drivers $2 per vehicle to cross the tollway with heavier vehicles paying a higher toll. If you don't want to use the tollway, the Jimmie Davis Bridge and Texas Street Bridge will still be in operation. This new tollway will add another option for crossing the Red River and hopefully decrease traffic.

The Texas Street Bridge is lit up during a test of the bridge's new LED lights Tuesday evening, January 25, 2022.
The Texas Street Bridge is lit up during a test of the bridge's new LED lights Tuesday evening, January 25, 2022.

Bradford said that Tim James, Inc. has a 15-year agreement to maintain the roadways at no expense to the cities or parishes. After 15 years, they will become public roadways and the parishes will be expected to maintain them.

"Those areas will see an influx of development," Bradford said. "We anticipate both because we're connecting two of the fastest growing economic corridors in our region as well as shortening headways. [It takes about] 25 minutes to get from that entryway to across the toll road, so we are looking at about a 10-minute drive time down from about 25 minutes."

More from Tuesday's council meeting: Shreveport City Council celebrates Black History Month, honors people and businesses

Currently, Tim James, Inc. is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to do the environmental assessment and route study to begin planning the construction for 2024.

Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Toll bridge connecting Caddo and Bossier to start construction in 2024