The two and a half mile extension to the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway is set to be complete in the coming months. 

With the close proximity of the road to nearby neighborhoods, Bossier Parish engineers have started conducting a noise study, in hopes of easing the minds of concerned residents.

The $7.5 million parkway extension has been in the works since 2004.  The extension has been designed to be accompanied with a one million dollar, 14-foot long absorbent sound wall.  Engineers are hoping this will reduce noise for approximately 15 homes in and around the Plantation Trace Estates neighborhood.

Bossier Parish engineer Butch Ford says while those homes will have the luxury of less noise pollution, homes north and south of the planned wall could be more exposed to noise from the parkway.

"The problem here is that we can't put anything across the levee because the levee district has jurisdiction and they're not going to allow anything across the levee, you can't dig into the levee," said Ford.

While the solution to put a wall across the levee won't be allowed, other alternatives are being looked into, such as planting trees and putting up fences.

Ford says while these options could prove to be feasible solutions, that more noise tests will be conducted once the parkway opens up to see if there is an increase.

"If they have increased to an unacceptable level, than we'll come up with another plan to try to help," said Ford.

The extension to Arthur Ray Teague Parkway is slated to be finished and open by the first of February.