Rep. Glover Continues Opposition to I-49 Connector [VIDEO]

State Rep. Cedric Glover talks to 101.7 / 710 KEEL's Robert J Wright and Erin McCarty about his continued opposition to the I-49 Inner City Connector, backing instead a renovation of the aging Jimmie Davis Bridge.

The Shreveport representative's latest remarks are in response to a letter from United States Congressman Mike Johnson and other area elected, civic and business leaders urging Governor John Bel Edwards to prioritize, not only the completion of the Interstate 49 Inner City Connector environmental study, but the construction of the ICC itself.

"It's not a matter of what I'm against, but what I'm for," says Glover, "The thing I'm really happy about is that the same folks who are for spending $800 million on a new highway project are now aligned with the folks who want to spend $150 million to rent a new courthouse or $90 million to rent a state office building, all of which are things that simply don't make sense to me in a time we have limited resources and we need to focused on trying to repair and upgrade and renovate those things that we currently have, as opposed to going out and acquiring things that are new."

The former Shreveport mayor, who opposed the legislation that moved $100 million allocated for Jimmie Davis Bridge repair to the I-49 ICC fund, adds, "There are better ways that we can go about making use of those types of dollars, like repairing bridges that need to be repaired, repairing roads that need to be widened or resurfaced. Those are the things that make much more sense now."

"I don't see the wisdom in building new infrastructure," Glover says, "When we've not funded - over the decades - the maintenance for what we have, where we're to the point now where it's in need of substantial repairs."