Bids on Knight Street in Shreveport Come in Way Under Budget

SHREVEPORT, LA - Shreveport residents will soon be seeing work begin to rebuild a crumbling street. Work has been needed on Knight Street for more than 10 years.

Now, the work will finally be done.

I have spotted utility crews working on the street recently. I assume they are making sure the utility lines are in the right place for this work to begin.

Bids for Knight Street Are In

Shreveport leaders opened the bids for Knight Street on March 12 and they got some really good news. Bids came in under the projected costs. This will mean the street lights for the project will also be included.

What Was the Low Bid?

The low bid was $6,540,000. That is about $2.4 million under budget, which will allow Shreveport "to pay for the street lights out of the project instead of from some other source." City leaders tell KEEL News there were 2 bidders. The low bid came from Turner and Turner.

When Will the Work Begin?

Public works crews expect the work to begin in the next few months and it will take about a year to get this street rebuilt. There will be some headaches during the construction as the road is completely upgraded.

What Is Being Done to Knight Street?

The road will be rebuilt, but that is just the beginning of the project. Sidewalks and street lights will be added to the stretch between Shreveport Barksdale Highway and Preston Street near the YMCA. This will make the walk between residential areas and the Shreve City shopping complex much safer.

Why Is Knight Street a Big Deal?

I know it might seem silly to be telling you about one street project. But Knight Street is a symbol of why things have been a mess in Shreveport for so long. In 2011, voters in Shreveport approved a bond issue that included millions for street repairs. One of the roads included in that proposal was Knight Street. Nothing has been done for all of these years. That raised serious red flags about how these bond projects are managed and who is keeping track of the projects. We believe the Knight Street saga will be the reason the city handles future bond projects much differently