City Engineer: Bond Will Pay for Major Road Repair Backlog [VIDEO]

Shreveport City Engineer Patrick Furlong talks with 101.7 / 710 KEEL's Robert J Wright and Erin McCarty about the upcoming bond election, when city voters will make a decision on Mayor Adrian Perkins proposed $186 million proposal.

Furlong, who's been the city's engineering boss for nearly nine years, tells KEEL listeners his reasons for his "pro bond issue stance."

Furlong explained that his department will be funded by Proposition 3 on the ballot. "The streets and drainage proposition," he says. "We all know that our streets are in very poor condition. We have an annual program, but we have a major backlog of projects that need to be done."

The man in charge of Shreveport's roads also addresses complaints that previous projects - specifically Knight Street - have not been completed in a timely manner. "It (Knight Street) was a 2011 bond project and it's slated to be completed," he says, "But we ran into some construction issues, which are not uncommon, and there's more funding that was needed. The council has allocated the funding and it's on track."