Posted: Mar 27, 2019, 3:16 PM
It’s official. Bossier Parish now has just over 20 million dollars available for parish road and bridge repairs, and to purchase additional water systems, beginning almost immediately and continuing through 2021.
Parish Administrator Bill Altimus was in Baton Rouge Tuesday to put his signature to loan documents, completing a more than year-long process that received final police jury approval at its March 6 meeting.
“Let the projects begin,” Altimus said after he finished signing the paperwork.
Proceeds from loan will be released in increments on a schedule drafted and approved by Parish Engineer Butch Ford and his staff. Altimus said the first installment will be released to the parish’s bank Wednesday.
Areas where the $20.5 million is headed include $3 million for purchase of area water systems, $3.5 million to repair and replace bridges and $14 million for road and drainage projects.
Ford said proceeds from the loan would be used on three parish bridges; Sligo Road bridge over Foxskin Bayou, Johnson Koran Rd. bridge over Foxskin and Caplis Sligo Rd. bridge over Red Chute.
Other major projects include right-of-way acquisition for the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway south to Taylortown (Hwy. 157), Palmetto Rd. to Fairburn Ave., widen Palmetto Rd. from the 911 facility to Vance Rd. and reconfigure Swan Lake Rd. at the bridge near Legacy Elementary.
“We need this money to be able to do the work that absolutely has to be done in the parish to insure public safety and provide for future growth,” Ford said. “We simply did not have the funds. Now we can get started on priority projects.”
