The AARoads Blog

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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As requested, here is a map showing the proposed Foley Beach Express extension set to begin construction as soon as late this spring. The Wolf Bay Bridge and associated road location are approximate based upon news article descriptions. Click the map for a larger version (184 kb).

The Foley Beach Express extension follows existing segments of Baldwin County 28 South and Baldwin County 83 northward to Baldwin County 64. Where Baldwin County 64 turns east toward Interstate 10 Exit 53, the proposed alignment turns northwest to meet Baldwin County 68 at its proposed interchange with Interstate 10.

The current idea of the Wolf Bay Bridge alignment is to construct a span from Alabama 161′s northern terminus at Alabama 180 (Canal Road) northward to the peninsula at Sapling Point. From Sapling Point northward, the road will curve and tie into the Baldwin County 20 and 95 intersection. Baldwin County 95 likely will carry the road northward to U.S. 98. Alignments north of U.S. 98 to Interstate 10 are unclear at this time.

Much to my surprise when recently viewing aerials (2005 or so) of Mobile County, work is well underway involving the Alabama 158 extension west from U.S. 45 to the proposed extension of Schillinger Road (Mobile County 31). Included in the extension is the upgrade of the intersection between U.S. 45 and Alabama 158 and the Alabama 158 grade separation with Mobile County 55 (College Parkway) to full interchanges.

The upgrade is supposed to tie into the new U.S. 98 Wilmer Bypass at Schillinger Road, which ground broke earlier this year. The Alabama 158 widening between U.S. 45 and Interstate 65 comes at a good time as a new NASCAR track is planned for the swath of land north of Alabama 158, west of Kali-Oka Road (Mobile County 55), and east of the abandoned railroad parallel to U.S. 45. The new track site-plan includes a second diamond interchange along Alabama 158 at the future west entrance.

Two articles recently published in the Mobile Press Register highlight road projects pertaining to the Orange Beach area of south Baldwin County. Baldwin County, Alabama’s largest and fastest growing, includes the beach resort communities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Opened in June 2000, the Foley Beach Express created a controlled access route around downtown Foley from Alabama 59 south to Alabama 180 in western Orange Beach. Initially the route resembled an expressway with just a handful of signalized intersections…

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Thanksgiving took me to Pensacola and Mobile for the holiday weekend, and I have a few road notes to share from the way up and travels in the area.

Legitimate Interstate 10 Florida shields found in Freeport at the overlap of U.S. 331 and Florida 20. In all of our years of travel in and around Interstate 10 in Florida, we’ve never discovered any signs with the state name, until now.

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Just wanted to mention a few updates to the site over the last week.

First off Andy is continuing to add updates to the Interstate-Guide involving Northwest U.S. freeways. Of those updated, there is now a load of new coverage for I-5, I-82, I-84, I-182, and I-705. Continuing onward, I’ve been working on Springfield, Massachusetts area guides for northeastroads.com. The guides for I-91 and I-291 were updated, and a guide for I-391 was created. I may add more New England material soon.

Also of interest, thanks to our friend Jake, I located several new coloured shield assemblies for U.S. highways in Florida. Levy County is the place for preserved assemblies, and some of the ones found are pictured on the Florida U.S. Highways Page.

Random snap: U.S. 231 northbound at U.S. 431′s southern terminus in Dothan, Alabama