Huntsville Highways and Roads

[HSVTiger]

here is a safe bet, a new I-35 bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis will be planned, built and finished in less than 16 months

before any of the 15-20 year planned realtively simple overpasses on Memorial Parkway will be completed.

Some will say well they have the funds and it is a vital artery. Nope they have the desire and determination to do it, something

ALDOT does not have. They(ALDOT) have no incentive, desire or really any need to complete ANY project in the state.

Now when told or directed to do it it happens, as in the case of the overpass in Birmingham when a truck burned under it and destroyed it.

[kayman]

ALDOT really doesn't, and this is because the majority of the projects in this state are contracted out to private firms rather than it be performed by state-hired engineers that work for ALDOT directly. The whole delay and lack of progress thing is all tied to how AAA of Alabama, Roadbuilders Association have their special interest with their hands in the pot in Montgomery. All of this mess has a lot to do with the same reason why the earmarking of transportation dollars is never appropriated towards mass transit either.

[Huntsville_secede]

Wow ALDOT has improved the signs in Huntsville. The overpasses on 565 now have the road name, are they giving people at the transportation conference the fake impression that they actually try to do stuff here.

[Alabadrock]

Wow ALDOT has improved the signs in Huntsville. The overpasses on 565 now have the road name, are they giving people at the transportation conference the fake impression that they actually try to do stuff here.

[Huntsville_secede]

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind....xml&coll=1

Huntsville road projects have been moved back too if he doesnt realize and as of now Huntsville is still 4 to 5 times bigger than Madison. Anyway Zierdt Road and Madison Pike go through Huntsville city limits too but HUntsville already has its hands tied enough trying to get Winchester, and 53 widened and other projects.

Kirkindall wants more even distribution of road money

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

By THOMAS R. TINGLE

For the Madison Spirit [email protected]

Two major road construction projects slated for the City of Madison this year have been moved back to 2012.

That has prompted concerns by city leaders that Madison isn't properly represented on the governing board that decides which projects will be done, and when.

With no Madison road construction projects planned in the Metropolitan Planning Organization's 2008-2011 road plan, Mayor Sandy Kirkindall said it's time for the organization to function more as a regional organization and distribute road money more

[kayman]

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind....xml&coll=1

Huntsville road projects have been moved back too if he doesnt realize and as of now Huntsville is still 4 to 5 times bigger than Madison. Anyway Zierdt Road and Madison Pike go through Huntsville city limits too but HUntsville already has its hands tied enough trying to get Winchester, and 53 widened and other projects.

Kirkindall wants more even distribution of road money

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

By THOMAS R. TINGLE

For the Madison Spirit [email protected]

Two major road construction projects slated for the City of Madison this year have been moved back to 2012.

That has prompted concerns by city leaders that Madison isn't properly represented on the governing board that decides which projects will be done, and when.

With no Madison road construction projects planned in the Metropolitan Planning Organization's 2008-2011 road plan, Mayor Sandy Kirkindall said it's time for the organization to function more as a regional organization and distribute road money more

[jmanhsv]

Representative Cramer raised a similar question to the one I had about the state's idea to build more toll roads: Why should I have to pay to drive on a road that was promised to me (the taxpayer) free of charge decades ago?

From the Huntsville Times:

During his annual Washington Update Luncheon today, U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, said roads are the biggest challenge facing North Alabama.

Because an estimated 10,000 defense jobs will relocate to Huntsville from the Washington, D.C., area over the next few years, Cramer told the local Chamber of Commerce that local roads could become more clogged.

He said roads that need to be targeted first are the ones around Redstone Arsenal, where most of the new jobs will be situated. In particular, he named Winchester Road, Ardmore Highway and County Line Road.

Gov. Bob Riley said recently that toll roads built as public/private partnerships should be considered for constructing the expansions.

"I'm open to that idea, but should we ask arsenal employees to pay to go to work every day?" Cramer said after the luncheon at the Von Braun Center. "There's a lot we need to consider, and we need to do it quickly. You can't build roads overnight."

[Sherlock]

Wow ALDOT has improved the signs in Huntsville. The overpasses on 565 now have the road name, are they giving people at the transportation conference the fake impression that they actually try to do stuff here.

[Sherlock]

here is a safe bet, a new I-35 bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis will be planned, built and finished in less than 16 months

before any of the 15-20 year planned realtively simple overpasses on Memorial Parkway will be completed.

Some will say well they have the funds and it is a vital artery. Nope they have the desire and determination to do it, something

ALDOT does not have. They(ALDOT) have no incentive, desire or really any need to complete ANY project in the state.

Now when told or directed to do it it happens, as in the case of the overpass in Birmingham when a truck burned under it and destroyed it.

[HSVTiger]

I noticed the new signs while traveling east on the 565 yesterday. Also noticed, unless I'm mistaken in my quick glance at the sign, that Bob Wallace Avenue was referred to as just "Wallace" ... unless there's a Wallace St. or Ave. that I'm not aware of.

[HSVTiger]

Work has begun on the Moores Mill Rd extension and frontage road along US 72 in the Chase area.

Retail announcements will be coming for this part of Huntsville soon.

[Huntsville_secede]

Work has begun on the Moores Mill Rd extension and frontage road along US 72 in the Chase area.

Retail announcements will be coming for this part of Huntsville soon.

[HSVTiger]

Governor tries to justify ALDOT inaction by claiming they have done more, True enough but admitting

that the area is being ignored isn't something to boast about..

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind....xml&coll=1

[Huntsville_secede]

http://www.al.com/opinion/huntsvilletimes/....xml&coll=1

Message from the ALDOT Director. He wrote a very lengthy letter that was printed in the Times defending the road spending.

State roads and bridges would crumble with 'fair-share' funding

Sunday, September 02, 2007

By JOE McINNES

For The Times

Much has been written recently in The Huntsville Times following the release of a study prepared for the City of Huntsville comparing estimated motor fuel taxes and investments by the Alabama Department of Transportation in Madison County for roads and bridges on the state and federal highway system.

One article printed several weeks ago used "short changed" to describe Madison County's funding relative to other metropolitan areas in the state. A more recent article titled "Send more road money - or else" alluded to possible legal action to push for a bigger share of gas taxes.

I believe the term "short changed" is a misnomer because the exact amount of motor fuel taxes paid by any particular county in Alabama is not determinable.

[Huntsville_secede]

1 Million to be spent on a study to see how much ALDOT can delay the southern bypass or it possibly be built as a toll road

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/kcl....xml&coll=1

Momentum builds for bypass with $1 million toll road study

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Huntsville Times

Gov. Bob Riley is moving forward with his commitment to consider whether the southern bypass across Redstone Arsenal could be built sooner as a toll road.

The state has committed up to $1 million to hire a company to study the issue.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization last week amended the area's transportation improvement plan to add $1 million to the high-priority and congressional section.

[HSVTiger]

1 Million to be spent on a study to see how much ALDOT can delay the southern bypass or it possibly be built as a toll road

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/kcl....xml&coll=1

Momentum builds for bypass with $1 million toll road study

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Huntsville Times

Gov. Bob Riley is moving forward with his commitment to consider whether the southern bypass across Redstone Arsenal could be built sooner as a toll road.

The state has committed up to $1 million to hire a company to study the issue.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization last week amended the area's transportation improvement plan to add $1 million to the high-priority and congressional section.

[Huntsville_secede]

1 million!, insane. Pay me half that and I will tell you the same answer. Yes it can be built quicker, since most state projects of this size take a minimum of 20-30 years to complete. Why not do a study to see why ALDOT is so inept, and have unfinished projects all over the state?

[HSVTiger]

That 1 million would be better off spent on a road widening project such as winchester or 53

[HSVTiger]

Huntsville's interstate spur has been an essential piece of the cities growth and transportation system.

One of the few roads that was actually designed to do what it was intended, but what does it need to keep it

ahead of the traffic? This is just for fun as it is doubtful anything will happen.

Right off the bat, add lanes from downtown over Chapman Mountain. Because of the limited R.O.W from Oakwood to

Maysville a 4 lane bridge over the exsiting roadway( could be an option).At least add lanes over the mountain so slower truck traffis does not cause backup.

From Wall Triana westbound add a lane in each direction to I-65. Modify the airport exit/entrance ramps to extend them as

added lanes.

What could be done to improve the Parkway/I-565 interchange? It is better due to closing/modifying exits on the Parkway,

but new lanes are needed in both directions, maybe a lane that does not exit onto the Parkway until past Bob Wallace?

Continue to improve signs, add downtown exit signs, add Chattanooga, Birmingham, and Nashville as destinations.

Add Air Cargo directionals to the Intermodal Center.

Things that will happen;

New exits at Zierdt and County line roads, extension eastbound to Ryland pike with overpasses at Moores Mill and Shields Rd.

Extension from I-65 westbound to US 31 in Decatur.

[Huntsville_secede]

you are forgetting they do not have any money to do that.

[jmanhsv]

I like how the 72 interchange didn't do anything to alleviate traffic over Chapman.... I would like 565 to be widened to 3 lanes eastbound from Oakwood to Moores Mill, and the same westbound from Shields to 72, with no trucks in the left lane. On the other side of the interstate, the section from Wall Triana to Mooresville should be 6-laned as well. That's an overlooked section that has become worse in the last 5 years.

[jmanhsv]

The city of Huntsville is adding a second traffic camera on Governors. The camera, located at the intersection w/ Gallatin Street in front of Huntsville Hospital, should be online within a couple of weeks.

While Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile have all had Intelligent Transportation Systems (traffic cams, highway advisory radio, message signs) set up by ALDOT, they have no plans whatsoever to add ITS in Huntsville. We been left to set up our own system (which will be pretty extensive, check the city's ITS page for more info). Just another case of ALDOT forgetting about Huntsville.

[kayman]

The city of Huntsville is adding a second traffic camera on Governors. The camera, located at the intersection w/ Gallatin Street in front of Huntsville Hospital, should be online within a couple of weeks.

While Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile have all had Intelligent Transportation Systems (traffic cams, highway advisory radio, message signs) set up by ALDOT, they have no plans whatsoever to add ITS in Huntsville. We been left to set up our own system (which will be pretty extensive, check the city's ITS page for more info). Just another case of ALDOT forgetting about Huntsville.

[Huntsville_secede]

I thought the county was going to

1)Widen Jordan road from Huntsville city limits to Shields Road (Add a turning lane)

2)Improve the slope of the hill

3)Add a traffic signal

from what i see the only thing that was done was #2. Why waste all that time and money just to improve the hill approach and not widen the road? Its going to eventually need to be widening if not now pretty soon, and there definitely needs to be a traffic signal now. Its possible the traffic signal could still be in the immediate plans.

[Huntsville_secede]

Like they will really stick to this schedule

$633.44M set for county roads

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

By BOB LOWRY

Times Staff Writer [email protected]

But DOT chief says amount 'not etched in stone'

MONTGOMERY - Madison County is scheduled to receive $633.44 million in federal and state highway funds over the next five years under the Alabama Department of Transportation's five-year plan unveiled on Monday.

But DOT Director Joe McInnes acknowledged things could change between 2008 and 2012.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind....xml&coll=1