Interstate 49 Likely To Steamroll Shreveport's Prominent Black Neighborhood!

Interstate 49 is still a controversial freeway.

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The proposed routing of Interstate 49 goes through Allendale, a prominent Black neighborhood.

Interstate 49 is a part of this intercontinental transportation corridor which connects the United States, Mexico and Canada. The USMCA agreement compromised by Washed Up 45, Justin Trudeau and Enrique Peña Nieto is a retooling of the NAFTA agreement signed by the three countries in the 1990s.

The USMCA agreement allocates a transportation corridor. Interstate 49 is a part of this. It was established as an interstate in 1984. It wasn't supposed to be part of the system but the lawmakers in Washington wanted to build a relationship with our neighbors to the north with trade.

As the highway is being built in phases, the expected routing will go from New Orleans to Kansas City.

The states that cover Interstate 49 are Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas and Missouri. The original segment was in the state of Louisiana. The highway started from Lafayette and traveled northwest towards Alexandria and ended in Shreveport.

Strong opposition continues with the Interstate 49 proposal.

Since 2012, the interstate has been extended. In Missouri, they upgrade the U.S. 71 highway to freeway and later interstate standards. The interstate is still being worked on with two segments still in the works. By 2022, Interstate 49 will eventually start from the Interstate 29, 35 and 70 junction in Kansas City and travels due south towards Carthage and near Joplin. It will head towards the Missouri-Arkansas border where it will connect via the Bella Vista bypass. Interstate 49 replaced Interstate 540 as the main thoroughfare in Northwestern Arkansas. It temporarily ends at Interstate 40. It then has a partial segment in Fort Smith which carries the freeway for at least four miles. The Arkansas Department of Transportation is hoping to get funding for the bridge over the Arkansas River. For the time being, the southern segment of Interstate 49 ends at the highway junction of U.S. 59 and U.S. 71 at the Arkansas-Texas border. The highway if built will travel at least seven miles into Texas before returning into Arkansas.

Then from Texarkana it travels to Shreveport where it temporarily ends at Interstate 220. 

The controversy lies with the route Interstate 49 is expected to travel. It will be going into a historical Black neighborhood called Allendale. The residents of Allendale are protesting the route.

The I-49 Inner-City Connector has been discussed for decades and is expected to reach a whole new level of interest in 2021.

"As we near a record of decision, we thought it was important to build some enthusiasm and momentum in the community," said Timothy Magner, Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce president.

Advertising agencies are hired, media and awareness campaigns are starting as the record of decision nears and marks the final step on if and when the approximately 3.2-mile connector will be built and where.

"It will actually link I-10, I-20 and I-30 through Louisiana. That is a huge opportunity for us regionally as a transportation and distribution hub. It also opens up other parts of our downtown area to development," said Magner.

Some in the business community said there will be hundreds of millions of dollars of positive impact to the area if it's built. 

Others, who live in the Allendale neighborhood of Shreveport are strongly against it being built there and they're doing everything they can to stop it.

"We don't want it to come through any community or any part of the community because there is going to be some pitting of the neighbors against each other, so we want to keep this out of the community," said Dorthy Wiley, president of Allendale Strong.

"Everybody who lives in that neighborhood is highly motivated to stay right there. Well, of course, that's where the Committee of 100 thinks we need a 1950's style inner city connector," said John Perkins, media advisor to Allendale Strong.

The folks with Allendale Strong would prefer a route they are calling a business boulevard be built that would connect with North Market Street and go up to Interstate 220.

"Let's start a business boulevard, $60 million. Lets get that started and if a freeway comes through, which will cost about $900 million, maybe a billion dollars once it comes through, then do that. But don't put it through our community," said Wiley.

Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments Executive Director Kent Rogers said the group is continuing to move forward and trying to keep the public informed.

"We do have a $100 million that was dedicated by the state in a previous appropriation. So the state match dollars are there and once the record of decision is in hand, we will be going to the federal government for the balance of the funds that are necessary to build the project," said Magner.

The federal government will play a large role in what happens here and Allendale Strong thinks the Biden administration will be on their side.

"We have a new secretary of transportation coming in Pete Buttigieg and he's already saying no more freeways to be built in Black and brown communities," said Wiley.

After decades of studies and meetings and discussions for and against, the record of decision is expected late this year or early 2022.

The feasible solution to fixing the problem is to have Interstate 49 run concurrent with Interstate 220 and replace Louisiana Route 3132 the Interloop Expressway. The current segment of Interstate 49 heading to downtown Shreveport should be labeled Interstate 149 or Interstate 249.