Working on another overhaul of our Mobile, Alabama area guides to coincide with an overall update for our Baldwin County ones. Getting to here quite often leads to our noticing of several small changes to signs and roads. Our latest round of updates reflects some of these…

The latest Clearview sign to appear on a Mobile area Interstate, this of a westbound mileage sign posted along Interstate 10 in Baldwin County.

More 2010 (and some from January 2011) photos have been added to both westbound guides of Interstate 10 in Alabama, Interstate 65 north and 165, U.S. 43, U.S. 45 north, U.S. 90 east, U.S. 98 west, Alabama 188 as well.

The first roundabout in Mobile County opened to traffic in October 2010. This traffic circle differs from most in that it handles movements between five roads.

New roads opened in the Mobile area during 2010 include Air Terminal Drive, linking Mobile Regional Airport with Dawes Road, an extension of Grelot Road west to Dawes Road at Air Terminal Drive and the extension of Nevius Road, linking Alabama 193 (Rangeline Road) with Hillcrest Road and the Main Line Street viaduct connecting Virginia Street with Ezra Trice Boulevard.

U.S. 43 north at Mobile County 84 now has a traffic light to govern movements between the two roads.

It seems that a new signal goes up at least once a month in the Mobile area. The truck stop at Sperry Road north of Interstate 10 on Theodore Dawes Road gained one, Battleship Parkway at Addsco Road gained one, Old Shell Road at Foreman Road gained one, U.S. 90 (Old Spanish Trail) at Town Center Avenue (Spanish Fort Town Center) gained one, etc. etc.

Speaking of Old Shell Road (now on its own guide), the long awaited widening of the road west from Hillcrest Road to Schillinger Road is nearing completion (spring 2011). Other area widening touted in the near (or far as the case may be) future include those of Schillinger Road between Howells Ferry Road and U.S. 98, Zeigler Road west from Langan Park to University Boulevard and Snow Road overall.

Still waiting for the new U.S. 98 (Wilmer Bypass) to near completion. This image looks at the grading for the road adjacent to County Road 63 from January 29, 2010.

And Mobile County Highways gaining signage? I wrote the county public works people and they indicated that the signs were being added to aid motorists using publicly available mapping products. These are appearing outside of incorporated areas and mainly on county roads, though at least one of the unique style of shield was observed along State Route 193 at County Road 20 (or is it 22?).

An example of the 18″ pentagons appearing on Mobile County highways, this for the southbound beginning of Jack Williams Road (Mobile County 86).

Ramblings in Baldwin County include the prioritizing of allocating funds for three key projects:

  • Extending the Baldwin Beach Express northward from Mobile County 32 (current north end) to a new interchange with Interstate 10 (planned for Baldwin County 68). Work is underway near the junctions of Baldwin County 64 and 83 as of late 2010.
  • Constructing a new interchange between Baldwin County 13 and Interstate 10. A controversial element of this project is the inclusion of access for a not-so-popular service road proposed to run along the north side of I-10 between Bass Pro Drive and Woodrow Lane to link U.S. 90 with Alabama 181.
  • Completing the widening of Alabama 181 southward from U.S. 90 to U.S. 98. Construction is already underway along Malbis Plantation Parkway between Baldwin County 64 and U.S. 90.

Some of these topics will be covered in future updates slated for our Baldwin County guides, including one such project completed last year: The Baldwin County 13 construction that filled the gap between Baldwin County 64 and Alabama 104, where yet another new signal was installed. Revisions completed already in Baldwin include guides for both directions of U.S. 31 and 90.