Corridor X/I-22

[Billy F 1988]

Does anybody have the latest progress on Corridor X/I-22 as to when the connection to Birmingham at I-65 is to be done? It seems like US 78 has been purged. I'm also curious as to what will happen with AL 4 since it's part of Corridor X.

[lordsutch]

Does anybody have the latest progress on Corridor X/I-22 as to when the connection to Birmingham at I-65 is to be done? It seems like US 78 has been purged. I'm also curious as to what will happen with AL 4 since it's part of Corridor X.

Just drove it basically end-to-end today. Work is still on-going at the I-22/65 interchange, with some overpasses mostly done and others just getting started, along with some work on the C/D setup along I-65. Others have reported it's behind schedule. If they really pushed they might at least be able to open to traffic in 12 months, but 18-24 seems more likely.

I have no idea what you mean by "it seems like US 78 has been purged." As of yet there's no word on what ALDOT or MDOT plan to do with the US 78 designation; it could be truncated in Birmingham, it could get moved back onto AL 5-69-118 and end in Guin or Winfield or something (which would be the most sensible independent routing, since once you get much further west the pre-Corridor X route is discontinuous), it could replace or multiplex with US 278 west of there, it could end up being multiplexed with I-22 the whole way to the end - who knows?

The AL 4 designation for I-22 will probably die though, since ALDOT generally doesn't assign hidden state route numbers to Interstates. As-is it only is signed consistently west of AL 11 (even the non-US 78 part of I-22 lacks AL 4 signs; indeed it lacks shields altogether).

While I'm updating anyway: the construction through New Albany is now complete, although the absurd 50 MPH work zone speed limit remains in place (a trick from the ALDOT playbook...), westbound I-22 still closed from Daniel Payne to AL 118 (although progress seems swift; I doubt it will be closed too much longer given the $$ incentive to the contractor to finish); Coalburg Rd is still closed from I-22 south, although you can go north and cut over through Walker Chapel & Upper Coalburg (probably a little longer than the old Cherry Avenue route, but you get to see the I-22/I-65 construction).

There's also been a bit of work on I-22 for the C/D roads at the I-269 interchange that's new since my last trip through. Last but not least, MS 4 and 7 are still signed as going through Holly Springs even though MDOT has had the signs installed (but covered up) for them to follow the "new" bypass at Exit 26 for the last year or so. No idea what MDOT is waiting for...

[Billy F 1988]

Basically, lordsutch, what I meant by US 78 and as you said, possibly AL 4, being "purged", that means that Corridor X/I-22 would end up superceeding US 78 and AL 4. By ALDOT assigning US 78 and AL 4 as Corridor X/I-22, it will be a main connector between Memphis and Birmingham, and that highway's been quite the tornado corridor, too. A lot of chasers in the 2011 outbreak were driving on what is still US 78 and called in to various TV stations refering to the name "Corridor X" or "Future I-22". I'd put it to you this way. When I-22 is officially completed, Google Maps won't have US 78 or AL 4 on their databases.

[codyg1985]

According to this progress report, the I-22/I-65 project is only 56% complete even though 89% of the contract duration has been used. It looks like the contract has been extended to October 15, 2015.