Shreveport, La/Bossier City, La. – The Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission has elected its officers to lead the Port for the next year.
Bill Altimus is the new President of the Commission. Altimus is the former Bossier Parish Administrator and was appointed to the Caddo-Bossier Port Commission in 2019. He represents Bossier City on the commission.
“The Port of Caddo-Bossier continues to play an important role in the economy of Northwest Louisiana,” said Altimus. “I look forward to working with the other Port commissioners and the Port team to continue growing our footprint and creating more jobs and economic opportunities for the area. It is important for the community to remember that for every job created at the Port, 4.1 jobs are created elsewhere in the community.”
Joshua K. Williams is the commission’s new vice president. He has represented the City of Shreveport since 2021. The commission’s newest member, retired Judge Stephen V. Callaway is the commission’s new secretary/treasurer. Judge Callaway has been a Port commissioner since November. He represents the Caddo Parish Commission.
Vice President Joshua K. Williams states, “The Port of Caddo-Bossier is expected to continue to be a vital player in the region’s economic development, with new warehouses, tenants, and infrastructure projects in the works. The Port’s strategic location and access to multiple modes of transportation make it an attractive destination for businesses looking to expand their operations in the region.”
“In my two months on the commission, I have learned the importance of The Port to the area’s economy,” said retired Judge Stephen Callaway. “With the help of economic development partners like North Louisiana Economic Partnership, BRF, Greater Bossier Economic Development Foundation, we are helping to create jobs and opportunities at both The Port and throughout Caddo and Bossier Parishes.”
Three major projects are currently underway that will benefit The Port’s current and future tenants.
Bossier City Waterline
Crews are currently laying pipe on The Port complex for the new waterline that will run from Bossier City to the undeveloped west side of The Port campus. The pipe currently stops at the Red River, where crews will bore two lines, 100 feet below the riverbed for a water line and a sewer line. The sewer line will remain capped until needed. Crews will also bore underneath Highway 1 and the adjacent rail line to extend the pipeline to plots on the west side of the campus to serve future tenants.
I-69 Service Road
Design work continues on the I-69 service road that will connect I-49 in DeSoto Parish to The Port. Once complete, the service road will provide a direct route to The Port for commercial traffic heading north on I-49. It could take about a year to complete the design phase and another five years to finish the road. Port officials will have a better cost estimate once the design process is completed.
Heavy-load Warehouse
Construction is continuing on The Port’s new 40,000-square-foot heavy-load warehouse. The Port, Red River Waterway Commission, and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development are funding the project. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in September, and we expect the construction project to be wrapped up by the end of this year.
The 4,000-acre Port of Caddo-Bossier is located at the head of navigation on the Red River Waterway in Northwest Louisiana. An inland multi-modal transportation and distribution center, The Port works hand in hand with the port system of Louisiana to successfully link customers throughout the Ark-La-Tex region to domestic and international markets via the Mississippi River, the nation’s largest river system, and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.