The AARoads Blog

Some notes from a recent five-day road trip from the Gulf Coast northward to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Widening is currently underway along Interstate 65 in Montgomery, Alabama. This project totals 4.613 miles in length and focuses on replacing the original concrete surface with asphalt while expanding the previous four-lane freeway into six lanes overall. Work exists between U.S. 80 (Exit 167) and the Alabama River bridge. Overhead highway signs along the stretch were replaced during the project. See Progress65 for more details.

New diagrammatical overhead for the split of Interstate 85 north from Interstate 65 north in Montgomery.

Continuing north along Interstate 65, widening is also underway between Exits 262A and 264 in north Birmingham, with additional work slated for next year from Exit 265 to 267. Construction focuses on the building of new collector/distributor roadways that will eventually serve the eastern terminus of Interstate 22 (Corridor X). No work has commenced on the interchange itself, but some land clearing of for the eventual path of the new highway has already occurred.

A look at the ongoing road work along Interstate 65 through northern reaches of Birmingham.

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Some notes from a drive through South Alabama today:

Recent construction on the next leg of Foley Beach Express’ northward extension is already opened. The roadway stems north from Baldwin County 28 to Baldwin County 32.

Signed as Baldwin County 83 and not the Foley Beach Express, the new four-lane highway travels 1.5 miles across Baldwin County 28 west to Baldwin County 32 opposite Lehman Road. No construction is present leading north.

Mast-arm traffic light assemblies are increasing their presense throughout south Alabama. This particular assembly is one of many new signals posted along Alabama 181 between Baldwin County 32 and Interstate 10. Posted at Baldwin County 48, the new signals lie just north of a new signalized intersection for a freshly built Wal-Mart Supercenter…

Long talked about widening of Alabama 181 is now underway. This was one of the plans for former Baldwin County 27 when the county conducted a mileage swap with the state for Alabama 112. Four-laning is underway in various stages between Alabama 104 and U.S. 90.

Interstate 10 westbound’s Exit 22A ramp to Alabama 163 (Dauphin Island Parkway) northbound is closed for a 30-day period. Work began on September 14. Note the Clearview fonted base closure sign.

A now the first Clearview-based highway guide sign posted along Interstate 10. This mileage sign lies west of Exit 10 with Mobile County 39. Clearview is also found on bridge identification signs and Mobile County area street signs.

An extension of the Mobile County 39 (McDonald Road) divided highway constructed in the mid-2000s will take place on May 20, 2009. County Highway 39 was realigned eastward to meet Interstate 10 at a new six-ramp partial-cloverleaf interchange that opened January 12, 2005. Presently the four-lane road ends at U.S. 90 by Irvington.

Work began December 2007 on a $10.2 million extension of County Highway 39 from a folded-diamond interchange with U.S. 90 to Padgett Switch Road at Half Mile Road to the south. This construction is very near completion based upon a recent visit and a Mobile Press Register news story published today.

Upon completion, travelers heading to/from Interstate 10 and Bayou La Batre will have a direct route to Mobile and points north for hurricane evacuation purposes. The placement of a CSX Railroad parallel to U.S. 90 allows for County Highway 39 to have not only an interchange with U.S. 90. but also an interchange with Park Boulevard and Gibson Road near Mobile International Raceway.

View some images from the soon to be opened highway. (more…)

Took a ride to south Baldwin yesterday and checked out the status of road work at the current north end of the Foley Beach Express. According to a WKRG report from August of last year, work on the $26 million project to extend the four-lane roadway will take 5 to 7 years and initial construction involves two miles. Well after a field check, only 1.5 miles of new road is presently under construction, and this involves building a new carriageway along side Baldwin County 28 S north for one half mile to the east-west Baldwin County 28 and a new roadway northward along Eagle Road to Baldwin County 32.

The new carriageway will carry northbound Foley Beach Express, though we would not be surprised if the facility opens with a two-lane configuration temporarily. A 45-mph speed limit is already posted along the unopened stretch north of the present Foley Beach Expressway east-west alignment. Drivers will be required to make a 90 degree turn between the extension and original roadway once the 1.5-mile extension opens.

Photos from yesterday: (more…)

Today I took a little jaunt up and over to US 331 to see if by chance I could find any remaining colored shields along the route. Alas, as previously told to me, none were found. Along my journey today though, I found an oddity.  I stumbled across a reassurance shield assembly located in Florala, Alabama for Alabama 55 and Florida 85, just south of the intersection with US 331.

Reassurance assembly for both Alabama 55 and Florida 85 just south of the intersection with US 331 in Florala, Alabama

I believe that the ‘SOUTH’ banner for Florida 85 should instead be a trailblazer showing ‘TO’ Florida 85, but never the less, it is signed as if it is actually cosigned along with Alabama 55 heading south into Florida. So, for all intents and purposes according to the signage, Florida 85 begins its 57 mile trek toward Fort Walton Beach at the intersection with US 331 in downtown Florala, not at the state line. It is cosigned with Alabama 55 south to the state line where the Alabama state designation ends, though there is no ‘END’ shield assembly, and continues on into Florida. This is, though, another good example of an erroneous sign error made by DOT’s and sign companies across the country. Way to go ALDOT.

Speaking of carbon copying signs, perhaps it is about time that Interstate 10 guide signs in Mobile County, Alabama reflect Biloxi and/or New Orleans? Pascagoula made sense when Interstate 10 was originally built, because the freeway defaulted onto U.S. 90 at the state line for many years before Mississippi completed its portion. Nowadays, Pascagoula makes little sense, as Interstate 10 travels through Moss Point, Pascagoula’s neighbor to the north, and U.S. 90, the route that still travels to the coastal city, is not directly accessible from the freeway anymore. Yet all these years, little thought has been given into changing the control city to something else.

1974 Alabama official highway map.

Furthermore, Interstate 10 gains the control city of Mobile along eastbound from Gulfport and Biloxi through Moss Point. There’s no mention of Pascagoula outside of exit signs for Mississippi 613 and 63.

1971 Gousha Alabama/Georgia highway map.

The same can be said for Interstate 10’s control point from Slidell, Louisiana, which features the U.S. 90 city of Bay St. Louis. When Interstate 10 ended at Mississippi 607 (Exit 2) from Louisiana, it made sense to have Bay St. Louis, since MS 607 to U.S. 90 carried motorists directly into the Hancock County city. Nowadays Interstate 10 bypasses the community well to the north.

1971 Mississippi Gousha Mississippi highway map.

Throughout the years the same cities are carbon copied without any thought to updating the signs. However it is possible to change such designations. Texas officials altered signs in 2007 for U.S. 75 leading north from Dallas that replaced Sherman with McKinney…

Governor Bob Riley introduced Alabama’s new general issue license plate design for 2009. Designed by the Department of Tourism, the new look features a beach scene, inspired by the coastal areas of Baldwin County and perhaps Dauphin Island. These tags will phase out the “Stars Fell On Alabama” series issued since 2002.

Alabama, like many other states, changes the general issue license plate every 5 years. Read more about the new tag in the State of Alabama press release.

Without any fanfare or even a mentioning to my recollection, Alabama 158 (Industrial Parkway) is now open between U.S. 45 and the Schillinger Road extension (Newburn Road). We took an opportunity to travel the new road this past weekend, and sure enough, everything is completed. Some highlights from the road include a 65 mph speed limit, four overall lanes with a shoulder, and extended rights of way at the Schillinger Road extension for what appears to be a trumpet interchange.

Facts about Alabama 158 (from an email with ALDOT):

• The extension opened on January 25, 2008
• Signage along the route will not be freeway grade
• Alabama 158 is not intended to be a controlled access route
• Interchanges with Schillinger, McCrary/Alabama 217 (Lott Road) remained planned

Alabama 158’s extension will eventually become part of a new alignment of U.S. 98 to the north of Mobile. Initial work commenced in 2006 on the new U.S. 98 north of Wilmer, from Big Creek northwest to U.S. 98 near the county line. Construction got as far as tree removal and grading before problems arose. Work was halted after rains caused detrimental sediment run-off into Big Creek Lake, the main source of water for the city of Mobile. ALDOT is still working on a solution to the problem, including redesigning U.S. 98 with the potential of additional bridges over area wetlands.

Rights of way along the new U.S. 98 include provisions of what may be a split-diamond interchange at McCrary Road and Alabama 217 (Lott Road). Work has yet to begin on this stretch of the four-lane highway and likely is several years off due to the environmental stoppage of work to the west.

Alabama 158 leading west from the now complete diamond interchange with U.S. 45 near Kushla. The road is very expressway like on this stretch, but 900 acres of land abutting both sides of the new four-lane roadway are already on sale for potential development.

Alabama 158 abruptly ends at the Schillinger Road Extension (Newburn Road). All traffic is slowed to 25 mph and forced to turn left. Right-of-way is already purchased for the westward extension, which will eventually carry a relocated U.S. 98 around Semmes and Wilmer. However as is visible with the lack of construction here, road work has yet to begin.

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A recent trip from Florida to Biloxi shed some light on new and ongoing construction projects throughout the upper Gulf Coast. First, a widening project is well underway now along Interstate 10 through the Tallahassee area. Dubbed “Moving I-10 Forward”, the work involves widening the freeway between milepost 194 and Exit 202, reconstructing the U.S. 27 half-cloverleaf interchange with more graceful ramps, and adding new ramps between Interstate 10 and U.S. 319 opposite the existing diamond interchange with Florida 61. Work began in the Fall of 2006 and will last through mid-2009. See http://www.movingi-10forward.com/ for project details, design schematics, and schedule.

Drivers along congested U.S. 319 northbound soon will be provided with a direct on-ramp to Interstate 10 west. Presently, motorists must maneuver onto adjacent Florida 61 to access Interstate 10 at the nearby diamond interchange; A flyover from the separation of U.S. 319 south from Florida 61 south complicates the adjacent intersection. Photo taken July 13, 2007.

Further west, I finally had the opportunity to travel across the “Crooked Bridge” over Escambia Bay. The Escambia Bay Bridges of Interstate 10 took a beating during September 2004’s Hurricane Ivan. Many segments of the bridge deck were toppled into the Bay or destroyed. Road work commenced soon after on temporarily reopening the ailing spans and the construction of their replacement. The first of two “Crooked Bridges” opened earlier this year and now carries four lanes of overall traffic. Crews continue building the future westbound span while also dismantling the original twin spans.

Traveling the new “Crooked Bridge” of Interstate 10 westbound over Escambia Bay at Pensacola. A good portion of the deck for the future westbound-only span is complete nearby; further away crews continue on the removal of the original twin spans. Photo taken July 13, 2007.

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With Federal Highway officials approval of environmental studies for the planned northward extension, ALDOT moves closer to the start of construction. Next week officials will hold an informal meeting on an associated project, the new Baldwin County 68 interchange with Interstate 10. Land has yet to be purchased for the interchange right of way, pending environmental approval from FHWA officials. However work on the new interchange should begin in early 2008 if all goes to plan.

Presently, Baldwin County 68 passes over Interstate 10 amid a pastoral setting of farm fields and tree stands. It is unclear what type of interchange will be built, but we surmise a standard diamond interchange. Photo taken June 7, 2006.

An additional hearing will take place next month on the Foley Beach Express extension. Slated to follow a north-south alignment along the Baldwin County 83 corridor, work on the first segment may commence in three to four months. The first segment entails new roadway from near the north end near Alabama 59 to Baldwin County 32 east of Summerdale.

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