Greater Birmingham Roads and Freeways

[| BRAVO |]

ALDOT is letting the widening of I-65 from 16th Street to 41st Ave. Expected completion is October 2010.

Let's hope this includes resurfacing the existing lanes!

http://www.dot.state.al.us/Docs/Bureaus/Of...g/ntc091207.htm

[bhamsly]

I have been on al.com, and the Trussville forum is on an uproar about the Beltline that will pass through one of Trussville's most prestigious neighborhoods, Carrington Lakes. They also complained about the noise that will be brought with this highway. Is there a map of the proposed route because some of the people on that forum say that the Beltline will not pass through the neighborhood, and some say that it will. Also, should Birmingham area freeways have sound barriers? Those highways are very noisy, especially I-65, and sound barriers would be awesome...plus they give the highways a modern look.

[| BRAVO |]

I have been on al.com, and the Trussville forum is on an uproar about the Beltline that will pass through one of Trussville's most prestigious neighborhoods, Carrington Lakes. They also complained about the noise that will be brought with this highway. Is there a map of the proposed route because some of the people on that forum say that the Beltline will not pass through the neighborhood, and some say that it will. Also, should Birmingham area freeways have sound barriers? Those highways are very noisy, especially I-65, and sound barriers would be awesome...plus they give the highways a modern look.

Hopefully this link will work:

http://www.bhammpo.org/docs/Northern_34x44...9No_Consult.pdf

Carrington Lakes is the cluster of streets to the northeast of Little Cahaba Creek on the St Clair line. The proposed route does clip the neighborhood. This is also the much debated extension to I-20. It would be decades before we see it.

Sound barriers seem a bit claustrophobic at times to me. I'm sure people who own homes near interstates would disagree with my opinion.

[Alabadrock]

I have been on al.com, and the Trussville forum is on an uproar about the Beltline that will pass through one of Trussville's most prestigious neighborhoods, Carrington Lakes. They also complained about the noise that will be brought with this highway. Is there a map of the proposed route because some of the people on that forum say that the Beltline will not pass through the neighborhood, and some say that it will. Also, should Birmingham area freeways have sound barriers? Those highways are very noisy, especially I-65, and sound barriers would be awesome...plus they give the highways a modern look.

Yes, sound barriers are needed, especially on 65, that road goes through a lot of residential area. I've been through so many cities that are smaller than Birmingham that have them.

[Blazer85]

Significant work has finally begun in preparation of the lane-widening of I-65 from Malfunction Junction to where I-22 will attach to I-65. For the last several days, equipment had been moved in and around the sides of I-65. Today, on my way home, I noticed major work had begun removing debris (trees, shrubs, etc).

Looks like we might finally see some of the work related to the I-22/I-65 project. Hooray for progress!

[woob]

Significant work has finally begun in preparation of the lane-widening of I-65 from Malfunction Junction to where I-22 will attach to I-65. For the last several days, equipment had been moved in and around the sides of I-65. Today, on my way home, I noticed major work had begun removing debris (trees, shrubs, etc).

Looks like we might finally see some of the work related to the I-22/I-65 project. Hooray for progress!

I can't wait for the northern belt line.. Fultondale and Gardendale are already feeling the effects!

[kayman]

The RPC is set to begin the testing program that will monitor the travel times for area roadways. They will track cell phones that travel along I-65 from 41st Street to Alabaster. The travel times will be posted on the message boards along I-65 for the time being.

[kayman]

26 MILES OF I-22 ARE NOW OPEN

The 26-mile stretch from Industrial Parkway to Cherry Avenue is now open to all traffic. This is the latest additon to the long-awaited Memphis-Birmingham freeway also known as "Corridor X" and U.S. 78. It will allow folks who are travel between the 2 cities a quicker route. Preliminary work is already beginning on the I-65 for the mass $1B interchange between I-22 and I-65 which isn't set to be complete until 2011 at least.

It's good to see that the road is finally open and a such a long wait. I'll try to check it out one of these days when I have time.

[woob]

26 MILES OF I-22 ARE NOW OPEN

The 26-mile stretch from Industrial Parkway to Cherry Avenue is now open to all traffic. This is the latest additon to the long-awaited Memphis-Birmingham freeway also known as "Corridor X" and U.S. 78. It will allow folks who are travel between the 2 cities a quicker route. Preliminary work is already beginning on the I-65 for the mass $1B interchange between I-22 and I-65 which isn't set to be complete until 2011 at least.

It's good to see that the road is finally open and a such a long wait. I'll try to check it out one of these days when I have time.

I am pretty excited about this!

[kayman]

Although this is late, I learned last week that there has been a proposal by Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford to have the Jeffco Roads and Transportation department had the repaving of the majority of the City of Birmingham's roads and streets. It is something that both the city and county should have been collaborating on together from the beginning, and it is psuedo-start of cooperation between the two on roads construction and maintanence.

[bhamsly]

What are thoughts on all of the confusion that may occur if the DOTS of Alabama and Georgia decide to extend I-22. If the extension of I-22 is done, I-22 will overlap with the Northern Beltway. This will create a I-22 to I-22/459 and back to I-22. There is already going be a I-59/459 to connect to the Northern Beltway. I think that it will be economically good for the region, but confusion for travelers.

http://interstate-dots.blogspot.com/2006/0...ion-jeffco.html

I think the best proposal would be to add more lanes to the existing I-65, and allowing I-22 to converge with I-65...giving it the title of I-22/65. Then, the 2 interstates could seperate again in southern Shelby County. I personally think that this would be the best proposal.

[kayman]

I feel that if the ALDOT were to extend I-22 beyond the major interchange with I-65 it should merge with the road and then follow I-20/59 through the City Center and then follow U.S. 31/280 (Red Mountain Expressway), and finally U.S 280 out of the city. This would be a great catalyst that would lead to the upgrading of U.S. 280 to a limited-access freeway that would be able to offer a direct route to the City Center as well as a connection between Columbus and Birmingham. However, I doubt anybody with ALDOT has the guts or common sense to realize this is the easiest route for this I-22 & U.S. 280.

[aboutmetro]

What are thoughts on all of the confusion that may occur if the DOTS of Alabama and Georgia decide to extend I-22. If the extension of I-22 is done, I-22 will overlap with the Northern Beltway. This will create a I-22 to I-22/459 and back to I-22. There is already going be a I-59/459 to connect to the Northern Beltway. I think that it will be economically good for the region, but confusion for travelers.

http://interstate-dots.blogspot.com/2006/0...ion-jeffco.html

I think the best proposal would be to add more lanes to the existing I-65, and allowing I-22 to converge with I-65...giving it the title of I-22/65. Then, the 2 interstates could seperate again in southern Shelby County. I personally think that this would be the best proposal.

I guess I'm a little confused so please help me clear it up in my mind. Doesn't I-59 converge with I-20 and is co-signed I-20/59? Is there a plan to change that and Have I-59 go along with the new northern segment I-459? To me, that would confuse travelers who've traversed the city for years using I-59. Why not, like in the map below, leave I-59/20. On the map, it looks like I-59 is only co-located with I-459 in that little segment between Trussville and where 459 meets with 59, and then I-59 continues on to meet I-20 and I-459 continues its southern segment way it always has. The I-22 extension and I-459 split at Trussville where I-459 goes that short segment with I-59 and then I-22 heads on around Moody southeast to Columbus, then Brunswick on this plan. (Using the I-285 Atlanta perimeter as an example), if a traveler is coming on I59, they would see a signs at the I-22 junction that said, "I-22W/I-459W, I-22 East, And then after that junction, they would begin to see signs that read I-59S/459S, then where I459 and 59 now meet, they would see the same signs as now, showing I-459's exit south. Confused yet? But, really, doesn't that seem right?

[codyg1985]

The proposal to bury I-20/59 underground got pushed forward a bit from the BJCC board donating $35,000 towards at $100,000 feasibility study: http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/inde....xml&coll=2

I think it would work by simply putting the interstate below-grade in an open cut-and-cover tunnel similar to I-71 through downtown Cincinnati, OH: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39....mp;t=k&z=17

Either way dealing with traffic during construction is going to be the largest hurdle. Shutting down the interstate during construction may be the fastest way to complete the project. Diverting through traffic onto I-459 could work, but airport access could be severely diminished if that was the only alternate route. Maybe this project could be another reason to make the Corridor X/I-22 extension feasible from I-65 to I-20/59 near the airport. If that were finished, then that could be used as an alternate route.

[Southron]

Mountain Brook will spend $50,000 for a Florida firm to design interchanges to replace current lights on Hwy 280 through the city. The city may apply to get Mountain Brook Village on the National Historic Register, which apparently would mean that federal highway funds couldn't be used to destroy it. (?)

Does anyone know where the proposal stands overall at this point?

Mountain Brook continues to battle elevated stretch of U.S. 280

[kayman]

Mountain Brook has been very low key on their plans with these plans for the city's interchanges and intersections along US 280, and to be honest this the first I've heard of the plans. I'm guess these plans are still in the preliminary stages.

[bhamsly]

The I-22 area looks kinda rough because of all of the old mining that happened there. What type of developments are suitable along the corridor...residential, commercial, industrial, etc? Also, there does not seem to be many roads out there, so if development does come, there will have to be frontage roads IMO. Perhaps the highway will just be for connecting Birmingham and Memphis, but that would be boring.

[kayman]

The I-22 area looks kinda rough because of all of the old mining that happened there. What type of developments are suitable along the corridor...residential, commercial, industrial, etc? Also, there does not seem to be many roads out there, so if development does come, there will have to be frontage roads IMO. Perhaps the highway will just be for connecting Birmingham and Memphis, but that would be boring.

I'm not really sure to be honest. The old mines are quite haphazard and implement to extensive development without the land either being graded and probably flattened like other areas. There is a possibility of it being used for more heavy industrial development like the rest of that area, but it would be a god-awful sight.

[Southron]

What type of developments are suitable along the corridor...residential, commercial, industrial, etc? Also, there does not seem to be many roads out there, so if development does come, there will have to be frontage roads IMO. Perhaps the highway will just be for connecting Birmingham and Memphis, but that would be boring.

I may be alone here, but I hope there is little or no development. It's supposed to be an interstate (not commuter) highway, but if it becomes another sprawling development corridor it will eventually be another lousy clogged freeway with people demanding that it be widened - a never-ending waste of taxpayers' money.

[kayman]

The City of Birmingham has announced a plan to repave 300-400 miles of city-maintained streets and roadways since many are in dire need. The total cost of this plan is $50M, but the question is where is the City going to find these finds when a recent press release specified that the city revenues have fallen short of projections?

[bhamsly]

The City of Birmingham has announced a plan to repave 300-400 miles of city-maintained streets and roadways since many are in dire need. The total cost of this plan is $50M, but the question is where is the City going to find these finds when a recent press release specified that the city revenues have fallen short of projections?

Perhaps this is the reason for all of the utility work done under many streets around town such as Five Points South. I heard that the actual "point" of the "five points" is going to be a reestablished round-about too. I wonder if it will be black pavement, or something a little more appealing. I was on University the other day, and I wondered why the stretch across from Volker Hall on UAB 's campus was already dug up...being that the roadway had just been freshly paved. I guess I-65 will have to wait until the new lane comes in the future, before we see some new pavement on that highway. Would the pavement for that roadway be done by ALDOT?

[kayman]

Perhaps this is the reason for all of the utility work done under many streets around town such as Five Points South. I heard that the actual "point" of the "five points" is going to be a reestablished round-about too. I wonder if it will be black pavement, or something a little more appealing. I was on University the other day, and I wondered why the stretch across from Volker Hall on UAB 's campus was already dug up...being that the roadway had just been freshly paved. I guess I-65 will have to wait until the new lane comes in the future, before we see some new pavement on that highway. Would the pavement for that roadway be done by ALDOT?

Yeah, ALDOT will be handling the paving of the highway. University Boulevard, also known as Alabama Highway 149, is a state-maintained highway, so it's actually not the City of Birmingham's responsibility to maintain that road.

[kayman]

Recent developments: The Business Alliance for Responsible Development (BARD) and the Brimingham Regional Chamber of Commerce apparently began to a campaign for "regional transportation" in form of the Northern Beltline being constructed. However, this is the same group that was heavily push towards having the Storm Water Management Authority to be disbanded. However, it seems that wish is coming true with the City of Birmingham formally resigning from SWMA.

Also all of the freeway message boards are now reporting travel times except along U.S. 280.

[bhamsly]

From AL.com.

Lakeshore Drive:

Transportation workers will close the shoulders of Lakeshore Drive between Wildwood Circle and Green Springs Highway today through Wednesday for soil samples for a proposed widening project.

Work depends on weather conditions.

Work starts at 9:30 a.m. and will end no later than 3:30 p.m. each day.

Even though the shoulder will be closed, no travel lanes will be closed.

Work begins on the eastbound outside shoulder and then the operation moves to westbound lanes.

Motorists are requested to use extreme caution.

This little excerpt says that it is being done for a "proposed widening project." This doesn't need to be just a proposal, this needs to be a reality.

[kayman]

There have been a number of new developments, Birmingham City Councilwoman, Maxine Parker, has began pushing for the extension of Finley Boulevard. The flyer would connect with the residents of North Birmingham to US 31 since trains tend to shut off critical emergency services. This would a request from the federal government to add this appropriation with the Obama Economic Stimulus package of the nation's highways and other infastructure.

Also the City will use $11M to began repaving all of the city streets in the City Center. This project is set to begin in January 2009 and this is apart of the major propose by Mayor Langford to repave all the city street and highways.