East end: I-20 in Bossier City Constructed 1991 | Length 28.36 km | |
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Existed: 1971 (signed)
1991 (completed) – present West end: I-20 / LA 3132 in Shreveport Parishes Caddo Parish, Louisiana, Bossier Parish, Louisiana | ||
Interstate 220 (I-220) in Louisiana is an east–west bypass route around Shreveport, Louisiana in the northwestern corner of the state. It runs 17.62 miles (28.36 km) from I-20 and LA 3132 in Shreveport to a second interchange with I-20 in Bossier City.
Contents
Map of I-220, Louisiana, USA
Route description
Interstate 220 begins at Interstate 20 in western Shreveport at the northern end of Louisiana Highway 3132 near Shreveport Regional Airport. I-220 heads northeast towards Cross Lake, where it passes through northern Shreveport, curving in an eastern direction at US 71, before crossing the Red River near the Shreveport Downtown Airport. East of the Red River, I-220 enters Bossier City, continuing east through the northern parts of that city until curving south towards I-20 at Shed Road (exit 15). Interstate 220 ends at I-20 at the southwest corner of the Louisiana Downs racetrack.
Future
There have been proposals to extend the highway eastward over the Red River and then northward to complete the loop by reaching Interstate 20, but Barksdale Air Force Base is in the way of a direct route to join up with the beginning of I-220. Aerial imagery shows ramp stubs for a possible extension southward from its eastern terminus with Interstate 20.
There are five options currently in contention for closing the gap in I-49 in Shreveport. Four of these options involve the construction of a new alignment extending from the existing I-49/I-20 interchange to the I-49/I-220 interchange currently under construction. This direct connection, known as the Inner City Connector, is controversial due to its path being projected through a residential neighborhood, which would necessitate the displacement of many of its residents. The fifth option involves routing through traffic via the existing LA 3132 and I-220 alignments after necessary improvements to those highways are carried out.