Haughton is a modern-day boom town for Bossier Parish, and that means officials are being proactive when it comes to soothing those growing pains.

Louisiana District 9 State Representative Dodie Horton (R-Haughton) noted to local news that Haughton has grown 33% from 2010 to 2020.

Haughton Mayor Kim Gaspard noted that he sees that reflected in the rooftops going up around his town. The challenge lies in making sure that there is enough infrastructure to meet the rising demand. 

He noted that there are currently $20M worth of projects based around new and improved roads, expanding water access, and purchasing land to mitigate flooding. 

Gaspard also pointed out that Haughton has committed to ongoing water and sewer upgrades for nearly 10 years, including a new sewer plant that opened last year, and new water wells being drilled for the town’s independent water system.

Beyond that, the town is focusing on a major project that will improve the quality of life for the residents through new attractions and increased sales tax revenue.

Currently, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is progressing with Phase I of the Louisiana Highway 3227 realignment project, which primarily involves widening LA 157 from two to five lanes.

Phase II of the project will connect LA 3227 with LA 157 just south of the current Pilot Travel Stop, which will relocate a stop light and create new access roads. 

“We have been working on this for five years,” said Gaspard. “I am very thankful DOTD went to Gov. Jeff Landry and state legislators to get this project done.”

The goal is to accommodate and improve traffic flow while opening up land for commercial development.

The expanded roadway will provide new entrances to expedite the development of approximately 70 acres for commercial development. The land is owned by Sealy Real Estate and the developer has several undisclosed partners awaiting the green light.

“Those 70 acres will bring in a major grocery store, new restaurants and retail shops, a pharmacy, and even a hotel,” Gaspard said.

While he couldn’t be specific, Gaspard did note that the longstanding rumors of a Cracker Barrell, Buccee’s, and Walmart are all unfounded. However, he was eager to explain that this shouldn’t diminish the excitement for the new development.

“Right now, there are only two places in our town where you can sit down and eat dinner, so our town is yearning for a new restaurant. And residents want new places to shop at without having to go to Airline Drive (in Bossier City)” said Gaspard. “This going to be fantastic for our town.”

Moreover, the real impact is that the project at LA 157 at LA 3227 is the potential to bolster the town’s sales tax revenue. Sales tax is essential for Haughton’s growth because it enables town officials to provide essential services that residents depend on.

“The town will no doubt benefit from the quality-of-life boost, but it also benefits from the new development’s sales tax,” Gaspard said. “For example, our police and fire are funded by the sales tax revenue. That revenue is vital to Haughton.“

While the potential for this long-gestating project is enough to preoccupy the town’s leaders, they aren’t stopping there. 

“We are looking at the growth and want to improve traffic flow for our residents by giving them more access to the interstate,” Gaspard explained. “We have other things we need to focus on to meet citizens’ needs including drainage, water, and road projects.”

“It will all go hand-in-hand towards making us a better place to live.”