Transfiguration of old structures into public walkways abound in the U.S.

Age and lack of maintenance have plagued the Jimmie Davis Bridge for decades. Built in 1968, the bridge spans 2,822.4 feet over the Red River and is the artery for Hwy. 511 traffic between south Bossier City and Shreveport at 70th Street. Plans to renovate the bridge were repeatedly put on hold until finally scrapped in June 2016 in favor of building a new four-lane bridge.

The new bridge will be located north of the Jimmie Davis Bridge, said Erin Buchanan, public information officer for the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development in Bossier City. Plans are now in the works for the old bridge to live on as a pedestrian conduit between popular paved trails used by cyclists, joggers and dog walkers, as have similar bridges across the country.

Often called “linear parks,” old highway and railroad bridges have become muchused public spaces in many cities and are popular draws for exercisers and businesses. Probably the best known of these is the High Line Park, a 1.45-milelong walkway in Manhattan which was transformed from an old railroad spur.

The Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, also in New York State, connects two counties and cities in much the same way as the JDB project. The cities of Lloyd in Ulster County and Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County are linked by the old railroad bridge turned into a park in 2009.

Construction began last year on the spectacular 11th Street Bridge Park, Washington, D.C.’s first elevated public park located on the piers of the old 11th Street Bridge spanning the Anacostia River, which should be completed in 2019.

In Chattanooga, the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge was built on a renovated bridge built in 1881. It opened in 1993 as a walkway and spurred development on both sides of the Tennessee River.

With public support, the JDB could also become a popular place to go, and the DOTD will be having meetings in the future to discuss how best to use the two bridges and get feedback from the public.

“While the concepts are being designed, the project manager and DOTD team in Baton Rouge are planning the upcoming public meetings, during which residents will get the chance to take a look at the proposed design alternatives, ask questions and give input,” said Buchanan.

“Rehabilitation of the existing bridge is being considered in the alternatives we are evaluating,” said Catherine Mastin, senior project manager of the DOTD project. “The existing bridge will remain in use until a new bridge is in service.”

“The designs are taking into consideration how best to develop the existing Jimmie Davis Bridge into a pedestrian crossing that connects the Clyde Fant and Arthur Ray Teague Parkways, while incorporating the Complete Streets Program into the project,” said Buchanan.

“The Complete Streets Program ensures a fully integrated transportation system by planning, funding, designing, constructing, managing and maintaining a multimodal network that achieves and sustains mobility, while safely accommodating pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users,” Buchanan said.

“There’s a renewed surge in the community for doing things outdoors,” Buchanan said.

“We’re in the process now of conducting a revised version of the environmental assessment, the majority of which was completed prior to the initial project of bridge rehabilitation. Because the scope of the project changed, some of the EA changed with it. That should be complete in the next few months.”

Barrow Peacock, the Republican senator from Senate District 37, has been instrumental in efforts to fund a replacement bridge. He believes the pedestrian walkways should be located on the new bridge because of costs associated with keeping both.

“The bridge is in need of repair at considerable costs,” said Sen. Peacock, who drives over the bridge every day. “I have had concerns about that bridge. It needs lighting, painting, decking.”

“Rough estimates have been made for the cost of the project, but until detailed plans have been developed, there’s no exact price tag,” said Buchanan. “However, those estimates are in the $80 to $100 million range. That includes some rehab improvements that will have to be made to the existing bridge, as well as the construction of the new bridge.”

“We’ll, of course, notify everyone when those dates and locations for the public meetings have been finalized,” said Buchanan.

– Kathleen Ward