Will Biden Policies Kill Shreveport I-49 Connector Construction Forever?

Has newly confirmed Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg killed any plans for Shreveport's I-49 Inner City Connector...forever?

Recent statements by the Biden Administration appointee say that the cornerstone of his department will be waging a war "against systemic racism."

And how exactly does the Biden / Buttigieg vision affect the proposed 3.6 mile stretch? Well, in a recent appearance in Los Angeles, the Secretary addressed the big picture. From breitbart.com:

In his appearances, Buttigieg is repentant for the federal government’s role in building a federal transportation system that frequently cut through Black and brown neighborhoods in order to build freeways, often cutting off Black and brown populations from economic opportunity.

“We recognize how misguided investments and missed opportunities for federal transportation policies have reinforced racial and economic inequality,” Buttigieg told the mayors’ group, according to Roll Call. “The wrong kind of investment can divide or isolate neighborhoods.”

In other words, there will be no new building of federal highways through minority neighborhoods, the precise objection made again and again by opponents of the Connector, including the Allendale Strong organization and former Mayor and current State Representative Cedric Glover.

Meanwhile, numerous local government and business groups, including the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments, Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, Committee of 100 and the North Shreveport Business Association have all touted the economic advantages of completing the highway.

But, with statements by Buttigieg, obviously mirroring the point of view of his boss in the Oval Office, one can easily conclude that, despite $100 million already allocated for construction, the I-49 Inner City Connector is dead. Or at least postponed for another four, or possibly eight years.