Continuing with our I-49 corridor theme, it’s time to look at Shreveport’s non interstate-interstates. The Clyde Fant memorial parkway runs southeast from downtown along the Red River. It goes through miles of parkland and passes by the city’s major hospital and it’s major tourist attractions (the casinos). The view below looks north at downtown Shreveport from the Parkway. Click any images for a larger view.
I-20 east at I-220 and LA 3132
LA 3132 is the city’s inner loop, on the south and southwest sides. Recently the interchange on the western end with I-220 was upgraded with more lanes and better concrete. 3132 was built throughout the 1970s and is by no means interstate standard. The road is pretty busy at most times of the day, and it is rumored that I-49 will eventually be routed over it. This would create even more traffic and trucks along the road. However, most futures of I-49 through Shreveport have an in-city routing. Source: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080330/NEWS01/803300309/0/LEGISLATURE
LA 3132 has a large symmetrial stack with I-49 on the southern side of Shreveport. This view looks at the back of a white Pontiac (and the stack).
LA 3132 recently got a 1.4 mile long extension to Flournoy Lucas Road from its former end at LA 526. The extension cost $14.2 million to construct and opened in the summer of 2007.
Eventually, LA 3132 is expected to continue southward to meet I-69 just west of the Red River. Originally planned to be a full beltway, the routing of the extension was changed southward to avoid Barksdale AFB across the river. The future routing of I-69 and information on the I-49 in-city routing can be obtained at the Northwest Louisiana COG website here http://www.nwlainfo.com/.
This view looks northwest along the 3132 extension at the LA 526 exit.
The other road in Shreveport that has expressway-like qualities is Clyde Fant Memorial Parkway. This view looks eastward at the end of the road from LA 511.
Clyde Fant is slated to continue southward to the LA 3132 extension, and thus onward to I-69.
The road features a few grade separations, like this one at Preston. Unfortunately, the signage leaves a lot to be desired.
Shreveport will possibly have an exciting future as hub of a large network of interstate freeways and connector roads. Looking at the metro area’s long range plans, there are a few roads planned or being looked at. That, along with the area’s port and air connection facilities make it a neat place to follow in terms of infrastructure. They just have to build them all first…
The map below looks at some of Shreveport’s future road plans, according to various documents and descriptions from the I-69 LA site, the LADOTD, and the local council of governments.
I grew up in Shreveport and I know these roads all too well. Clyde Fant Parkway needs bigger exit signs. Except for 2 parks, it has exits rather than intersections for all of the highways it intersects with. Similarly, in Bossier City, the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway along the river. It now has somewhat of an exit leading onto the Shreveport-Barksdale bridge back into Shreveport, but just further north it has a traffic light at the intersection of McDade Street (LA 3105) which can be inconvenient. I prefer Clyde Fant to LA 1 (Market St/ Spring St and Youree Dr.) because you can bypass a lot of Shreveport pretty quickly; you just have to go slow through downtown alongside all the riverfront casinos.
As far as LA 3132 (Inner Loop Expressway) goes, I lived and my family lives just north of Shreveport and I use I-220 and LA 3132 a lot to bypass around town or to get to 49 south. I’ve heard too, that if interstate 49 doesn’t get built through Shreveport to interstate 220, that it would follow the inner loop and join with 220 to the northern exit. I absolutely hope this doesn’t happen because it would make for a longer path around town and would completely miss downtown! Also, many believe it would greatly add to traffic around the Shreveport loop and especially add to the dangers of crashes or spills on the 2 mile long Cross Lake Bridge on I-220. Cross Lake is also the main water source for the city water in Shreveport. On a side note, I remember when parts of LA 3132 were still being constructed, mainly the overpasses. The West 70th St (LA 511) and Line Ave./Ellerbe Rd (LA 523) overpasses were the last things to be constructed and one was made to exit and wait at the red light before getting back on to travel southward.