SHREVEPORT, LA — The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is highlighting one full year of construction for the ongoing Jimmie Davis Bridge replacement project. The $360 million project is one of the largest investments in the state’s transportation system in the last several years, eventually transforming the manner in which motorists cross the Red River in the south Shreveport-Bossier City area.
Currently, the contractor is continuing to make progress with building the foundations of the new four-lane bridge, which is being built immediately north of the existing two-lane structure. Two temporary trestle bridges that were completed earlier this year are facilitating the mobilization of equipment out onto the water.
In addition to the bridge construction itself, significant work is underway to realign and widen LA 511 (Jimmie Davis Highway/East 70th Street) on both sides of the river. This portion of the project, which includes installing a raised median, will revamp traffic flow and accessibility for motorists approaching the bridge or visiting nearby businesses.
Additionally, access to the bridge is being reconstructed via new on- and off-ramps that will tie in to not only the roadway, but also the existing pedestrian/bicycle path network on both the Caddo and Bossier sides of the river.
Both the LA 511 realignment and ramp construction require a considerable amount of dirt work, activity that has been underway for several months and will continue for much of the project.
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The new four-lane modernized bridge, expected to service more than 30,000 vehicles per day, is on track to open in early to mid-2027, with progress dependent on weather conditions, river levels, and other factors.
