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 http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/another_hurricane_evacuation_route/17752/ 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 [...]
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. [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. 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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
