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That's what it would take to get the land, which at its widest point is some 50 feet but would also take away part of an automobile dealership that would want a new facility. Mayor Lo Walker's administration has balked at the cost.

Bossier City is extending Teague Parkway north, which will send more traffic onto Traffic Street. It is looking for ways to eliminate the bottleneck at Traffic Street and Barksdale Boulevard, which is already heavily traveled because of casinos and the Louisiana Boardwalk.

The city has an alternative plan to reduce the bottleneck: Close the Traffic Street on-ramp to westbound Interstate 20, which enters the highway on the Red River Bridge. It is a driver's nightmare: A short on-ramp gives drivers little time to merge onto I-20 and the ramp is designed in a way that drivers on the bridge don't see traffic until it's about to get on the bridge.

That would require approval from the state Department of Transportation and Development.

DOTD earlier rejected Bossier City's initial idea to build a new, longer on-ramp onto I-20. DOTD said that ramp would have been too steep.

"It's given credit for about one accident a month, but we know it's much more than that because accidents happen up the line and down the line on I-20," Bossier City engineer Mark Hudson said of the Traffic Street on-ramp to westbound I-20.

DOTD has discussed adding another lane to the bridge, a much more expensive project than a new on-ramp.

The dealership, Red River Chevrolet, has been in business for more than 70 years. One of its buildings is very close to the street and widening Traffic Street would take part of a building.

Hudson said the city has offered to build a new wing of service bays. A new dealership complex would have to be built down the street, Hudson said, and the city would also have to move the Bossier Arts Council building at Barksdale and Monroe Street.