SHREVEPORT, La (KTAL/KMSS) – For over a decade, the I-49 connector has stirred controversy in the City of Shreveport. But during the most recent North Louisiana Council of Government meeting, a new route was proposed.
According to John Perkins, a Board Advisor with Allendale Strong, a spokesperson with Providence Engineering said the routes must be reconsidered due to legal issues with the 1966 Transportation Act.
The 1966 Transportation Act ensures that historic properties are preserved, which is why Perkins feels the plan for the inner city I-49 corridor will be scrapped.
Perkins believes this announcement is a win for the Allendale neighborhood.
“If you live in Allendale that’s good news because they’re not going to build a highway through you, or your neighbors, or your church, or your neighborhood. But if you don’t live in Allendale and you want a quick shortcut to Arkansas, maybe three minutes faster, and you don’t mind spending the billions of dollars, then that’s considered a bad thing,“ said Perkins.
Pictures shared on the Allendale Strong Facebook page show the new proposed route has a loop closer to the downtown area, making use of Hearne Avenue to connect to I-49 to the intersection of I-220.
In a radio interview on Monday morning, Kent Rogers, the Executive Director of the North Louisiana Council of Government, said the Allendale option is not scrapped. But all options must be explored before receiving federal approval.
KTAL/KMSS reached out to Rogers but was told he was unavailable for the week.