Airline Drive Construction Causing Headaches

The cars stop and go and then stop and go again. Soon drivers will have more stops to make in the middle of a construction area on Airline Drive. The new Stirling Bossier Shopping Center is being built, and once complete it will take up 600,000 square feet and include big box stores like Target and Belk. Some drivers like Ted Williams are getting frustrated with all of the construction around the area. "Its getting busier and busier," said Ted Williams. "It`s getting worse in here, especially in the morning from like 7 to 8:30 in the morning it`s worse here." Residents say the traffic on Airline Drive needs to be addressed before it gets any worse. In fact some have learned to allot more time to make it to their destination. "Probably around 10 to 20 minutes." Bossier City officials say they are doing everything they can to ease the problem and Stirling Properties manager assures residents that traffic is going to flow well once the south half of the shopping center opens in July. "Improvements have been made on the exit ramps off I-220, other improvements have been made to Viking Drive and on the other side of the I-220 and deceleration lanes and also new traffic signals," William H. McFadden, Property Manager, Stirling Properties. As for Williams, he already has a plan of his own. "When this new mall goes in, or whatever I`m sure I`ll be using Benton Road more."