Articles published by 1.Clint Land, Press-Tribune
                                    2. Teri Bailey, The Times

1.  Lake Bistineau to get a face lift     ( December 2000)

Clint Land
Press-Tribune

ELM GROVE – Citizens using Lake Bistineau in southern Bossier Parish and parts of Bienville and Webster Parish will benefit from Sen. Foster Campbell’s, D–Elm Grove, three-prong plan to improve the man-made lake.

The first stage of the plan was lowering the lake level. The purpose for the draw down was to “freeze out” unwanted vegetation growing in the lake bed. And, to allow property owners surrounding the lake to make improvements on boat houses and piers.

Campbell said work is about to begin in phase two of the plan, and will involve the removal of stumps from boating areas on the lake.

The stump-removal project will cost an estimated $75,000, and the money will come from the three bordering parishes’ Rural Development Fund. “Bistineau has lots of stumps and they are a serious hazard. Some people have been injured out there, but it’s amazing that more haven’t been so far,” he said.

Campbell said the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries division, located in Minden, will assist in the stump removal – marking hazardous areas for improvements.

Local fishermen utilizing Lake Bistineau said the stump removal will not make fishing more difficult. “I think it’s a good idea. When they cut down the stumps a fish living near it will just swim somewhere else. Just like when your boat prop rams into (a stump),” said Bienville Parish resident Wyatt Pullig.

The third stage is already in the works, but will be let for bid in early January of 2001. Campbell said a bridge will be constructed on the lake side of the existing Bistineau dam. The bridge will run from Bienville Parish (south of the dam) into Bossier Parish. The bridge will span approximately one mile of water and low-level land according to Bruce Easterly of LaDOTD.

“It’s going to cost about $14 million, but that was significantly less expensive than our alternative plan,” Easterly said.

The original project called for the repair of the existing road and stabilization of the dam at the southwestern end of the lake. “The dam has a history of sliding and shifting. Stabilizing that, plus de-watering an area for the road was expensive.”

The $14 million construction project will be the largest in Campbell’s district and one of the largest in north Louisiana (a $25 million interstate revamp is the largest).

Easterly said construction on the new bridge will take between one year and 18 months once construction begins. The existing road will remain in place during construction to alleviate any traffic hassles. The state will maintain the road after the bridge is opened in order to access the dam.

“Lake Bistineau is a great asset for our community and citizens. We need to take care of it properly,” Campbell said.

2.       State plans to replace bridge over Bistineau
12/18/00
By Teri Bailey
The Times

 ·  Project on state Highway 154 will cost about $14 million.

  Commuters and visitors who frequent the state Highway 154 bridge over Lake Bistineau are on the road to a bigger, better byway.
  The state Department of Transportation and Development in January is expected to let a contract for a two-lane concrete bridge (with shoulders) to replace an aging timber bridge atop a dam. The construction project, estimated to cost about $14 million, will span about a mile and will be built on the lakeside of the existing bridge. The dam will be refurbished as well.
  The new bridge -- billed as the biggest project in North Louisiana -- connects Bienville and Bossier parishes and serves as a major commuter route for residents in Ringgold, Castor and other Bienville Parish towns.
  "The bridge is in terrible shape. The railings are dangerous and worn out," said state Sen. Foster Campbell, who represents the area. "Lake Bistineau is such a great asset that we need to do everything we can to preserve it -- including the bridges and dams."
  Bruce Easterly, DOTD district administrator, said work should begin in April or May. Project time is uncertain but most likely will last 18 months to two years. The existing timber bridge will stay in use until the new bridge is complete; after that, the timber bridge will be fenced off.
  Bossier Parish also will close one end of Lakeview Circle -- which loops onto Highway 154 -- to help in construction. Residents along that road will enter and exit through one end of the street. When the bridge is complete, the state will overlay Lakeview Circle as repayment for the inconvenience.
  "Most of the people who live in and around Ringgold commute to work in the Shreveport-Bossier area, so anything that can be done for transportation in and out of Ringgold is a great help to us," Ringgold Mayor Bob Corley said. "I average four times a week, and there’s a lot of people who go every day."
  Ringgold resident Jo Ann Basinger was happy to hear news of the upgrade. She travels to the Bossier City-Shreveport area three to four times a week and has noticed the bridge’s condition.
  "Much of the problem is not the bridge itself. It’s the approaches, especially on the Bienville side," Basinger said. "It washes really bad, and the under-layer of the highway itself gets really bumpy."
  Corley added that the stretch of Highway 154 leading into Ringgold could stand an upgrade, too. An overlay is not immediately scheduled, but the state already has improved the highway in Bossier Parish. Corley hopes Bienville Parish is as lucky.
  "I know (a new bridge) will make a difference in my life because every time we go over it, my husband fusses," Basinger joked. "To be able to make him be quiet when we cross it would be great."
  DOTD traffic counts from 1999 show 2,100 vehicles travel the bridge each day. In the next 20 years, that count is expected to rise to 3,600 vehicles per day.

  Lake Bistineau also will have hundreds of stumps cut down to improve boating safety. Bossier Parish police jurors agreed Wednesday to seek $25,000 in state rural development dollars to pay for the stump removal. Work could begin in a couple of weeks.
  Jeff Smith of Haughton has been contracted to cut the stumps 11 feet below the water’s surface. Campbell -- who is seeking support from Bossier, Bienville and Webster parishes -- hopes to receive $75,000 in state money to complete the work. The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will oversee the job.
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