Alabama Road and Highway Updates - Page 4

| BRAVO | · #61 Posted **Dec 22, 2009, 4:18 PM**

I will say I was terribly thrilled to see the widening of I-20 through St. Clair County progressing nicely. It should be six lanes all the way to Oxford in my opinion.

That is one scary stretch of highway.

ttownfeen · #62 Posted **Dec 22, 2009, 8:27 PM**

What parts of I-20 between B'ham and Oxford remain to the be three-laned? I think all of I-20 between B'ham and the Coosa River is three-laned except for the part through the Karr Gap.

| BRAVO | · #63 Posted **Dec 22, 2009, 9:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttownfeen

What parts of I-20 between B'ham and Oxford remain to the be three-laned? I think all of I-20 between B'ham and the Coosa River is three-laned except for the part through the Karr Gap.

The bridge over Lake Logan Martin to just beyond the race track is 2 lanes. It picks up 3 lanes after the track to the Calhoun county line then it's the 2-lane \bone-jarring\ concrete into Oxford.

| BRAVO | · #64 Posted **Dec 22, 2009, 9:25 PM**

Oh yeah... from the I-20/59 split to Oporto Madrid Blvd is 2 lanes as well --- right through the middle of East Birmingham ---

sabre0link · #65 Posted **Dec 25, 2009, 1:31 AM**

Re: 280 interchange at 459...

But but but.. they just FINISHED that (ok, in the past year or two, but still! And my sense of time has warped lately... :\).. and now they want to tear it up? *sigh*

Re: the wacky use of toll lanes...

*sigh*

Dolly Ridge could be done that way... lane shifts and regrading the hill would likely help out a lot.. Trying to get my head around the overpass at Lakeshore/Shades Creek (149) and then the underpass at Cherokee... and then an overpass at Rocky Ridge.......... Shades Mountain Cut, anyone?

My absolute least favorite thing is turning left out of the Summit onto 280... there's been NUMEROUS times when there's been 4 lanes of traffic turning left out of the Summit onto 3 lane 280....

*grumble*

Minor rants aside... I wanted to toss in a few updates I found regarding the Northern Beltway (designation 959)..

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/12/...rk_set_to.html

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintame.../overview/782/

Rail Claimore · #66 Posted **Dec 25, 2009, 3:39 AM**

You'd think 3 left-turn lanes would be enough, especially considering it's the only place in the state I'm aware of with that characteristic.

959? Shouldn't the first digit be even?

SpawnOfVulcan · #67 Posted **Dec 25, 2009, 5:40 AM**

It's designated as 422 so that it can receive Appalachian development funding.

EDIT:

I just read the article. Odd, I never heard about it being labeled 959

sabre0link · #68 Posted **Dec 25, 2009, 6:55 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rail Claimore

You'd think 3 left-turn lanes would be enough, especially considering it's the only place in the state I'm aware of with that characteristic.

What ends up happening is that people get in the straight lane, and speed up to get in front of those in the furthest right, left-hand turn lane...

What's really great about it, is you'd think it was people that couldn't merge into the left turn lane... nope. I've seen people LEAVE those left turn lanes, get into the straight lane, then speed up to get in front of those turning left...

I normally see one car do this silly stunt.. the other day I saw 3.. they followed each other through the turn...

Summit Blvd's my quickest, easiest access to 459S... so I get to deal with this whenever I'm driving that way (which is at least 85% of the time... LOL)

Bleh.

Yay /rant.

sabre0link · #69 Posted **Dec 25, 2009, 7:14 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alabadrock

It's designated as 422 so that it can receive Appalachian development funding.

EDIT:

I just read the article. Odd, I never heard about it being labeled 959

Same.. I thought it was designated with a ?22 number as well, but seeing as neither end touched 22, I couldn't see how it'd actually be feasible.. (unique, though).

459 ends at 59 (or 59/20) on both ends.. the N.B. will do the same, though there were talks of extending it from 59 to 20, which would make a designation with 20 as it's base..

However, if the N.B. had been in continual construction since 459 was finished, it likely would carry the 459 designation, given it would be a loop and not end up being a spiral.

To refresh my miniscule brain, i searched to find stuff... with some real official designations...

959 = State designation
422 = (potential) Interstate designation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridor_X-1
http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.p...thern_Beltline
http://www.bhammpo.org/docs/BNB.pdf

Rail Claimore · #70 Posted **Dec 25, 2009, 6:03 PM**

It will do little to relieve traffic bound for Atlanta from Memphis or vice versa, since there's still no true direct route. Traffic through downtown will still have to deal with the junction and traffic taking the northern bypass will have to go southwest on 59 and catch 459 south to 20 east. Extending the northeast segment to meet I-20 should be in the plans. That or bridging the gap between 65 and the 20/59 split. The latter seems easy enough as the ROW taken would be primarily from industrial areas. The only issue would be the cemetery.

SpawnOfVulcan · #71 Posted **Apr 23, 2010, 7:18 PM**

Anyone wanna get up and dance a happy dance with me?

Special May 21 ALDOT Project Letting for I-22 Corridor Interchange

neilson · #72 Posted **Apr 24, 2010, 2:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tredici

Anyone wanna get up and dance a happy dance with me?

Special May 21 ALDOT Project Letting for I-22 Corridor Interchange

Hell to the F'ing YEAH.

So, that means by July, construction begins?

And if it's gonna take 4 years to finish the project then hey that's ok. At least it's gonna get done.

SpawnOfVulcan · #73 Posted **Apr 24, 2010, 2:39 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilson

Hell to the F'ing YEAH.

So, that means by July, construction begins?

And if it's gonna take 4 years to finish the project then hey that's ok. At least it's gonna get done.

Haha, I was actually getting worried that it wasn't gonna happen anymore. I mean, I'd heard some news about it a few months ago, but hadn't heard anything recently. Either way, I'm glad we know it's gonna happen now.

SpawnOfVulcan · #74 Posted **Jun 17, 2010, 12:32 AM**

Construction contract awarded for Corridor X completion

The $168.6 Million contract was awarded to Atlanta based Archer Western Contractors. Construction is scheduled to start in July and must be completed by October 15, 2014.

This is the largest project ever undertaken by ALDOT. The interchange will link Future I-22 to I-65 just north of downtown Birmingham.

SpawnOfVulcan · #75 Posted **Jul 7, 2010, 4:44 AM**

So, they've slapped the new signage up along I-65 in both north Birmingham and Montgomery. And lemme tell you, they're some nice signs. Very legible from a distance and effective.

thoraudio · #76 Posted **Jul 7, 2010, 12:55 PM**

just a note. Anybody who would push for a Montgomery - Meridian extension of 85 for 'economic' reasons needs to ride along the ghost highway and soon to be ghost towns of 5/old 78.

My Grandfather (who passed away in 97) used to talk about how great Corridor X was going to be, and how it would bring prosperity to Jasper. Now, people fly by Dora and Sumiton and the rest at 75 mph and never give them a second thought or any $.

bystander1 · #77 Posted **Jul 7, 2010, 1:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoraudio

just a note. Anybody who would push for a Montgomery - Meridian extension of 85 for 'economic' reasons needs to ride along the ghost highway and soon to be ghost towns of 5/old 78.

Well, it couldn't hurt any worse.

Dyingyak · #78 Posted **Jul 7, 2010, 2:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by thoraudio

just a note. Anybody who would push for a Montgomery - Meridian extension of 85 for 'economic' reasons needs to ride along the ghost highway and soon to be ghost towns of 5/old 78.

My Grandfather (who passed away in 97) used to talk about how great Corridor X was going to be, and how it would bring prosperity to Jasper. Now, people fly by Dora and Sumiton and the rest at 75 mph and never give them a second thought or any $.

It's a toss-up...you loose the transient tax collections and such but you increase the chance you'll have of business and industrial development within your area because of the improved connectivity.

We've been seeing a lot of chatter at work about potential industrial development in the Jasper area that wouldn't have happened if it were not for Corridor X.

It is a risky trade-off that could pay-off big if the community has the right leadership in place to recruit worthy industry and development. But if the community is insistent on staying stagnant because "we like the things they way they are" they are going to be bleed dry.

thoraudio · #79 Posted **Jul 7, 2010, 3:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bystander1

Well, it couldn't hurt any worse.

I'd say it could. And of course, we know that my opinion is fact.

I've never understood why we're in such tizzy to make it easier and faster for people get through, get out, and go around. Is the Montgomery outer loop actually going to ADD to the city? Or just make it easier to avoid?

I've driven 78 to Jasper for years.... When I was a kid, it took about 5 hours, with interstate construction in Bham, and even after I-65 was completed there was the adventure of going from 65 to 20/59 at malfunction junction then trying to cross 4 lanes of traffic in less than a mile to make the 78/Arkadelphia exit.

78 was a fun hour though. The fake cop in Sumiton, Uncle Mort's, that Ice Cream stand/hamburger joint just as you crossed the Black Warrior, the Green Top BBQ and Wesley's Boobie Trap... ok, well I never stopped at that one.

But now, 5/old 78 is a literal ghost town. and nothing is popping up on 78/future 22.

Yes, it only takes me 2 hours from my house to Smith Lake, but is it worth it?

There IS a solution for the Black Belt, but nobody is willing to take the draconian steps required.

bystander1 · #80 Posted **Jul 8, 2010, 3:24 AM**

I may be tempted to visit Mississippi if we had a faster link to the west.