Shreveport-Bossier’s Future: See the New Jimmie Davis Bridge Taking Shape

SHREVEPORT, LA - Work has been going on for a year to build a new four-laned Jimmie Davis Bridge in south Bossier. The new bridge will replace the existing two-lane bridge which is in bad shape.

The price tag on this new bridge is $360-million-dollars.

Crews have built two temporary trestle bridges to use for doing the work to install the foundation for the new bridge. The contractor is also starting the work to realign 70th Street and the Jimmie Davis Highway (Hwy 511) with the new bridge.

The highway will be widened and it will also have a raised median to help with traffic flow in the area.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the Jimmie Davis Bridge Project

Erin Buchanan with DOTD says this bridge is being built north of the existing bridge and it is expected to open in early to mid 2027. DOTD expects more than 30-thousand motorists to drive over the new bridge each day.

This new bridge is described as "one of the largest investments in the state’s transportation system in the last several years, eventually transforming the manner in which motorists cross the Red River in the south Shreveport-Bossier City area."

To keep up with the progress on the bridge construction, click here.

Here is the Timeline for the Jimmie Davis Bridge

DOTD opens bids - Feb. 2023

Jimmie Davis Bridge project awarded to James Construction Group - April 2023

DOTD holds construction kick-off community meeting - April 2024

The old Jimmie Davis Bridge is expected to be turned into a linear park, but the cost for that conversion is about $25 million and we don't know yet if that money has been secured.