Barksdale's I-20 interchange fast tracked

Greg Hilburn | Shreveport Times

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Construction on the long-awaited Interstate 20 interchange leading to a new entrance to Barksale Air Force Base will begin early next year after an almost two-decade wait.

"It's a tremendous project because it not only affects local traffic but also national security," said Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker.

"It's huge because it will provide uninterrupted access to the base from I-20 and I-220 for both the public and for trucks carrying equipment and weapons vital to the base's mission," said Louisiana Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson.

The project, which will cost between $90 million to $125 million, will be paid for primarily with federal funds through bonds issued through the state.

Gov. John Bel Edwards and Wilson announced the issuance of $650 million in bonds earlier this year and targeted three projects— the Barksdale interchange, the widening of a portion of Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge and the Loyola interchange in New Orleans.

"The governor and (Wilson) have been consistently on this from Day 1," Walker said.

Wilson said the state has invited three construction companies — James, Gilchrist and PCL — to present proposals to both design and build the project.

“I am very confident that the teams selected will provide quality proposals for DOTD to consider," Wilson said. "Given the department is procuring two design-build projects and one public private partnership simultaneously, our staff is performing very well and ahead of schedule.”

Wilson said combining the design and construction phases will speed up the process.

"By making this decision now we'll have someone in place and ready to get started early next year," Wilson said.

The new interchange will be just east of Bossier City and funnel traffic directly to a new eastern entrance of Barksdale, which will become the primary entrance.

Wilson said the existing entrance on U.S. 71 will continue to operate, but the new entrance will remove much of the traffic from surface streets within the city.

"It will provide uninterrupted access straight to the security gate," he said.

Wilson and Walker said trucks often get backed up entering the current gate and train traffic often impedes access.

"It's totally unsatisfactory to have a major military base trapped by a train," Walker said. "There are so many reasons why this project is needed so urgently."

The city and Bossier Parish are contributing $3 million each toward the project, while the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments is contributing $12 million over 12 years.

"Everybody is doing the right thing at the right time," Walker said. "This is going to be a great win for our region."

Wilson said once construction begins, the project will take about 2.5 years to complete.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1