Alabama

[us43]

Does anyone know what this pole in Decatur is for? There's another one on the other side of the intersection.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.5639835,-86.9732846,3a,25.4y,89.24h,80.14t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s7G2XPA5crAoslTIMbkfAwQ!2e0!5s20160501T000000!7i13312!8i6656

That looks like part of the sensor for flashing LED raised pavement markers.  There are similar installations at the intersections of AL 36 and CR 81 with AL 157 in Lawrence County:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.4212981,-87.1701975,3a,75y,215.65h,68.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swL2RprgZHtJLAx_SUPhlLQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The flashing markers have not been working the past couple of times I've been through those intersections and may have been removed.  When they worked, the markers would flash red in the "wrong way" lanes whenever anyone arrived at the intersections.

[rel4]

Does anyone know what this pole in Decatur is for? There's another one on the other side of the intersection.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.5639835,-86.9732846,3a,25.4y,89.24h,80.14t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s7G2XPA5crAoslTIMbkfAwQ!2e0!5s20160501T000000!7i13312!8i6656

That looks like part of the sensor for flashing LED raised pavement markers.  There are similar installations at the intersections of AL 36 and CR 81 with AL 157 in Lawrence County:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.4212981,-87.1701975,3a,75y,215.65h,68.09t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swL2RprgZHtJLAx_SUPhlLQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The flashing markers have not been working the past couple of times I've been through those intersections and may have been removed.  When they worked, the markers would flash red in the "wrong way" lanes whenever anyone arrived at the intersections.

For the one in Decatur, it is part of the signal detection system. Two wireless sensors in the asphalt next to the pole detects a vehicle. The unit on top of the pole relays that info to a unit on the signal pole, which sends the info to the signal controller.

For the rural one, it could be a similar detection system for counting vehicles instead of signal detection.

[Voyager75]

AL 53 makes a new appearance with US 231 in Harpersville before the new bridge over the CSX rail line. I know it has its solo routings in north and south Alabama but this may be the only appearance with US 231.

And as of today, the AL 53 signs have been removed in both directions. Back to hidden status. No need for any of them in that area really as they're already reassurance signs for US 231/AL 25 around a 1/2 mile north and south of that area.

[D-Dey65]

Hey, can anybody tell me when US 80 was relocated from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma?

[froggie]

No later than 1999.  Old ALDOT maps are not helpful here because they show the old designations even after they were changed.

[barcncpt44]

ALDOT officially announced a fast track to extending Interstate 759 in Gadsden from it's current ending to the US 431 / US 278 split in East Gadsden, it's about time!
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/news/20170403/interstate-759-extension-through-east-gadsden-on-aldots-fast-track

Here's a picture of the route.
https://twitter.com/fox6dixonhayes/status/848908078829490178

[Alex]

ALDOT officially announced a fast track to extending Interstate 759 in Gadsden from it's current ending to the US 431 / US 278 split in East Gadsden, it's about time!
http://www.gadsdentimes.com/news/20170403/interstate-759-extension-through-east-gadsden-on-aldots-fast-track

Here's a picture of the route.
https://twitter.com/fox6dixonhayes/status/848908078829490178

It's an at grade extension with a full intersection at George Wallace Drive and two RIRO's located further east. Appears to be controlled access otherwise. Probably signed as AL 759?

[The Ghostbuster]

So this extension will not be a freeway? Then it probably should be an extension of AL 759.

[codyg1985]

That's disappointing and thus a misleading headline. I hope that if it is built this way that strict access control will be implemented so that in the future when funding is available interchanges and bridges can be added. Of course, this is Alabama and that isn't likely.

[froggie]

That's disappointing and thus a misleading headline.

Par for the course in your home state.

[bdmoss88]

ALDOT has a fast-track? That must be new. 

[Voyager75]

I know it's probably apples and oranges but it takes ALDOT 2 months to begin building a 2 mile section of expressway in a densely populated area and 20 years to build a 1.5 mile section of the Northern Beltline in rural Jefferson County...go figure.

That being said traffic on US 431/278 is atrocious in East Gadsden pretty much all day and it's only going to get worse will all the new development around the Goodyear Plant(The Krispy Kream is horrible in quality and service btw). I wished they would go ahead and put a interchange at the current end by Lowe's since they're curving the extension to the east slightly. It would leave enough room to put in on/off ramps. Other than that, I don't think it would take much effort to go ahead build it to Interstate standards and not mislead people with the "I-759 Extension" headline. Local TV reports flat out said that I-759 would be extended, not AL 759.

[codyg1985]

I know it's probably apples and oranges but it takes ALDOT 2 months to begin building a 2 mile section of expressway in a densely populated area and 20 years to build a 1.5 mile section of the Northern Beltline in rural Jefferson County...go figure.

That being said traffic on US 431/278 is atrocious in East Gadsden pretty much all day and it's only going to get worse will all the new development around the Goodyear Plant(The Krispy Kream is horrible in quality and service btw). I wished they would go ahead and put a interchange at the current end by Lowe's since they're curving the extension to the east slightly. It would leave enough room to put in on/off ramps. Other than that, I don't think it would take much effort to go ahead build it to Interstate standards and not mislead people with the "I-759 Extension" headline. Local TV reports flat out said that I-759 would be extended, not AL 759.

The zoomed in version of the graphic calls it the "I-759 connector." The cross section looks more like a boulevard than anything that could be upgraded to interstate standards.

[lordsutch]

ALDOT usually can't even spell "access management," and even when they have a good idea (like closing the median breaks on the US 82 Centreville bypass for safety reasons) it gets vetoed, so the odds of them building anything upgradeable to a freeway in the future unless designed that way to begin with is about zero.

And if they were building a freeway, it'd open in 2045 or so after piecemealing the thing to near-death.

[Voyager75]

From the article:

"The extension will be about two miles long, and it's expected to impact about 10 houses, city officials said, some of which are now vacant."

That's flat out misinformation or a typo. I see 50-60 homes in that path and a few commercial buildings.

[mwb1848]

Hey, can anybody tell me when US 80 was relocated from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma?

I remember traveling to Selma in the late 80s or early 90s and the mainline designation had been re-routed to the up-stream river crossing.

[froggie]

Another "fast tracking" of sorts, but older in vintage.  Just stumbled upon this Birmingham Business Journal article from October that says ALDOT officials are trying to resurrect the dropped-because-of-environmental-impacts US 98 bypass in Mobile County...namely the segment running from the MS line to AL 158/Schillinger Rd.

According to the article, the new plans call for a 2-lane road instead of 4 lanes, with an estimated price tag of $110 million.  $65 million of the cost will apparently come from "BP oil spill money", with the rest from ALDOT's 2019 and 2020 budgets.

The AL.com article, also from October, goes into a little more detail, including how the $65 million in BP oil spill money comes from the $1 billion settlement between BP and the state.  State lawmakers are using most of the settlement to cover debts, but approved $65 million for the bypass project and another $55 million for Baldwin County (which aims to use it for a few widening projects, including on AL 181 near CR 64 and on US 31 in Spanish Fort).

[capt.ron]

Another "fast tracking" of sorts, but older in vintage.  Just stumbled upon this Birmingham Business Journal article from October that says ALDOT officials are trying to resurrect the dropped-because-of-environmental-impacts US 98 bypass in Mobile County...namely the segment running from the MS line to AL 158/Schillinger Rd.

According to the article, the new plans call for a 2-lane road instead of 4 lanes, with an estimated price tag of $110 million.  $65 million of the cost will apparently come from "BP oil spill money", with the rest from ALDOT's 2019 and 2020 budgets.

The AL.com article, also from October, goes into a little more detail, including how the $65 million in BP oil spill money comes from the $1 billion settlement between BP and the state.  State lawmakers are using most of the settlement to cover debts, but approved $65 million for the bypass project and another $55 million for Baldwin County (which aims to use it for a few widening projects, including on AL 181 near CR 64 and on US 31 in Spanish Fort).

Two lanes instead of 4? Big mistake unless ALDOT secures the ROW for the 2nd set of lanes when the need arises. They might as well bite the bullet and make it 4 lanes since the highway has a lot of spring break traffic coming in from Mississippi and points west. The new 2 lane would clog up just as bad as the old alignment.

[froggie]

A) they already have the ROW for 4 lanes
B) they don't have the funding to complete 4 lanes...they do for 2, but only just barely

So what would you have them do?  Wait for God-knows-how-long to find the funding to build it as 4 lanes?  Or complete 2 lanes now and find funding later to finish 4?

[lordsutch]

What's strange is that looking at the aerials, a lot of the "scrapped" alignment seems to have actually been constructed up to the grading stage without being connected to anything. At the very least I'd hope ALDOT and MDOT would work together to open all four lanes across the state line to the end of where the existing grading is in place for four lanes around Walter Tanner Road north of Wilmer. From there to AL 158, at least some road would be better than no road until the money's there to add the second carriageway.

[Tom958]

So, the 759 Connector will have six lanes where four would make more sense, and the US 98 relocation will have two lanes where four would make more sense. 

[freebrickproductions]

So, the 759 Connector will have six lanes where four would make more sense, and the US 98 relocation will have two lanes where four would make more sense. 

Clearly two lanes were taken from the US 98 relocation and given to the 759 Connector.

[bdmoss88]

I noticed today that the section of old US-82 east of Centreville replaced with the last section of bypass last year is now signed as AL-382.

[codyg1985]

I noticed today that the section of old US-82 east of Centreville replaced with the last section of bypass last year is now signed as AL-382.

Sure enough...it appears on the official route log map. https://aldotgis.dot.state.al.us/MilepostPDF/web/co4mp.pdf

[Charles2]

I noticed today that the section of old US-82 east of Centreville replaced with the last section of bypass last year is now signed as AL-382.

Is it actually signed, or is the route just designated on maps?  Last time I was in Centreville, there was no signage for AL-382.  That said I've not seen any signage for any of the other 3xx state routes that have been created in the state: 378 in Birmingham, 300 in Tuscaloosa County, or 301 in Calhoun County.