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BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Bids to reconstruct 3.5 miles of Interstate 20 from just west of Benton Road to Industrial Drive, as well as parts of I-20 in Shreveport went out Wednesday, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

The project, with an apparent low bid of $82,564,848.20, will provide major repairs to all lanes of the heavily-traveled section of I-20 in Bossier City, as well as additional repairs along the I-20 corridor in Shreveport.

In the Bossier reconstruction, the pavement will be removed down to the roadway sub-base and replaced along this 3.5 mile section of interstate, over which between 62,000 – 86,000 vehicles travel each day.

The project also includes the replacement of the street lighting system components along the stretch of I-20 that is being reconstructed in Bossier City.
 
This reconstruction will be performed in phases, and also will include all on and off-ramps of the five interchanges between Benton Road and Industrial Drive.

“An incredible amount of work as part of the project development process has gone into preparing this project for this month’s letting,” said Dr. Shawn D. Wilson, DOTD Secretary. “We fully understand how highly anticipated these major repairs are and we’re anxious to begin construction.”

In addition, outside the reconstruction area, concrete patching repairs will be conducted on I-20 stretching from Pines Road in Shreveport to I-220 in Bossier City.

The work will address other sections of the busy interstate corridor that serves both residents and the thousands of motorists passing through the region each day.

An innovative queue detection system will be implemented for this project, which will provide advanced warning to motorists that they are approaching a line of congestion and may choose to detour.

This type of system is effective in improving safety during construction projects – particularly on an interstate – and for helping to mitigate traffic congestion approaching the work zone.

Actual construction work will begin in early 2022, following the contractor’s allotted assembly period.

Additional information will be issued via the MyDOTD system as the process moves forward toward construction. Anyone interested in receiving updates on the project’s progress is encouraged to sign up for the MyDOTD notifications