AARoads Forum

Just discovered on a recent drive to Mobile County that the extension of Mobile County 39 (McDonald Road) south from U.S. 90 to Mobile County 19 is underway! A partially built folded-diamond interchange has sat for several years awaiting two of its missing ramps and overpasses above U.S. 90 and its parallel railroad.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-090_eb_at_cr-039.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-090_eb_at_cr-039.jpg)

Ramps will also be added on the south side of the railroad with Park Boulevard.

In other Mobile County news, highway signs are now appearing for County highways throughout western reaches of the county. The pentagons all appear to be 18" in size and appear randomly at intersections between two county roads. I first spotted them at Cottage Hill and Schillinger Roads, and recently found more at Mobile County 5 at U.S. 98 in Wilmer and Mobile County 11 and 33 west of Dawes.

Even after ten years, signs posted at the Exit 27 interchange from Interstate 10 westbound still show U.S. 90 and 98 both traveling through the Bankhead Tunnel, even after the first signs went up in 1999 sending U.S. 90 northward. Additionally, doesn't this sort of relocation of U.S. 90 require AASHTO approval? Also I never saw any notes in the AASHTO log about the truncation of U.S. 43 northward to U.S. 90 at Bay Bridge Road.

There are still several signs along Papermill Road that still indicate U.S. 90/98T being U.S. 90T/98T. Considering the vacuum leftover from the International Paper plant closure in 2000, I doubt they will be updated anytime soon.

An additional observation from today, mileposts appeared for Alabama 158 recently, and they still reference the original end at U.S. 45. Street signs are finally up at the at-grade intersections along the new road with the exception of the cross roads with Dogwood Trail.

I wrote ALDOT about three issues earlier this week, we'll see if I get a response. One was the lack of signage for the Perdido River at the Florida state line. The second was the lack of signs for both Saraland and Loxley's municipal boundaries along the respective Interstates, where local police are now patrolling. Thirdly, I wrote about the choice of Pascagoula as the control city of Interstate 10 west.

Quote from: froggie on February 11, 2009, 07:26:50 PM
What would you prefer for a control city?

Biloxi or New Orleans.

I've thought about writing DOTD about the use of Bay St. Louis along Interstate 10 east too. Can't hurt to ask.

FDOT did alter the Interstate 4 eastbound signage for the Florida 546 exit to U.S. 92 after I emailed them. They had it displayed simply as "U.S. 92", and added a "TO" next to U.S. 92 after I pointed it out.

The initial widening of Zeigler only entails about a half-mile of roadway...

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123434732539660.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123434732539660.xml&coll=3)
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Zeigler Boulevard widening project moves forward
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
By DAN MURTAUGH
Staff Reporter

The Mobile City Council approved funding Tuesday for the early stages of a project to widen Zeigler Boulevard from Langan Park to west of University Boulevard.

The council voted 6-0 to put up $91,410 to acquire right-of-way for the project, which stretches from Forest Hill Drive to Athey Road.

The city's portion is 20 percent of the total cost of land acquisition. The state highway department will foot the bill for the remaining $367,000.

Norman Lumpkin, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the project is still being designed. The state won't begin purchasing land until the design is finished.

The total cost of the project will be about $11 million, according to documents from the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Another project to widen Zeigler from Cody Road to Schillinger is also being designed, Lumpkin said. That project would cost about $5 million, according to planning organization documents.

City Councilwoman Gina Gregory, who represents the area that Zeigler goes through, said the state highway department will acquire land on the north side of the road so the project doesn't eat into Langan Park.

Gregory also said she's lobbying the highway department to put a sidewalk on one side of the road, and a bicycle path on the other.

And an FYI, Hillcrest Road's widening is almost complete between Girby Road and Three Notch Road.

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1234952110217250.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1234952110217250.xml&coll=3)

Mobile City Council approves roadwork
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
By DAN MURTAUGH
Staff Reporter

Mobile City Council members approved more than

$1 million in road repaving projects Tuesday and acquired land that will allow the widening of Cody Road.

The Mobile County Commission will pay for both projects through its Pay-As-You-Go program, which is funded by a countywide 6cm HALF-mill property tax.

Mobile City Councilwoman Connie Hudson said the

$2.75 million Cody Road project, which will add lanes from Cottage Hill Road to Pine Run Road, would be bid out in April.

The road resurfacing projects span all seven City Council districts. The city hired Hosea O. Weaver & Sons Inc. to do the roads for $1.35 million. City officials said they would be reimbursed by the county's Pay-As-You-Go fund.

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1235643373214030.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1235643373214030.xml&coll=3)
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U.S. 98 problems may be near end
Thursday, February 26, 2009
By RHODA A. PICKETT
Staff Reporter

Unresolved litigation, lack of funding and design changes continue to stand in the way of the U.S. 98 bypass in western Mobile County, but state transportation officials and local environmentalists say they remain "cautiously optimistic."

Meanwhile, the project budget has swelled from an original estimate of $42 million to more than $80 million, with paving far from complete.

"We are in the final stages of working out about four matters that would end the lawsuit," Vaughn Drinkard, the attorney for the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System, said Friday.

MAWSS sued the Alabama Department of Transportation in 2007 to correct a number of problems leading to erosion and sediment flowing into the Big Creek watershed and eventually into Big Creek Lake, threatening Mobile's drinking water supply. The Alabama Attorney General's Office subsequently filed a lawsuit against ALDOT.

The environmental group Mobile Baykeeper was allowed to intervene in both lawsuits. Mobile Baykeeper and MAWSS originally filed a lawsuit seeking to widen the existing U.S. 98 rather than build the new bypass.

State officials said the bypass was needed because of the number of deaths on the road some locals have dubbed "Bloody 98." From 1995 to 2008, there were 50 fatalities on a nearly 17-mile stretch of U.S. 98 from the Mobile city limits to the Mississippi/Alabama line.

"This is a high number, and that is why we initiated this project," said Tony Harris, a state highway department spokesman.

Matt Erickson, construction engineer for ALDOT's Ninth Division headquartered in Mobile, and Wilson Folmar with Thompson Engineering recently took the Press-Register on a tour of the overall project.

Transportation officials said they used several techniques in an effort to stabilize the roadway and keep dirt and clay from washing away: They paved an asphalt layer from near the Alabama/Mississippi line to Scarbo Creek. They rolled thousand of yards of coconut mesh and hydromulch, a type of grass seed, onto slopes. Engineers said crews have formed dual detention ponds for stormwater.

Workers have also drilled 6,600 anchors into the slopes for stability, and 26 million pounds of riprap have been brought in to buttress manmade hills and slow down stormwater runoff.

The bridges over Big Creek will be extended another 1,350 feet, and pipes installed in the bridges are designed to catch hazardous liquids that may leak following accidents, Erickson said.

The section from Schillinger Road to Interstate 65, which is the extension of Alabama 158, is completed and open to traffic.

The remaining 4-mile section between Glenwood and Schillinger roads has been sent back to the drawing board, Erickson said.

While state transportation Director Joe McInnes said he expects that the federal stimulus package will give the state some funding help, there is no timetable on when work will begin on the 4-mile stretch that will connect the two ends.

Tony Harris, ALDOT spokesman, said clearing and grading the first section was originally estimated at $21 million with another $21 million needed for paving.

By August 2008, officials acknowledged that the first section would be at least $18 million over budget. On Wednesday, Harris said the cost of the first section was now at $59 million, or $38 million over budget. About $9 million of that overrun is tied to a bridge that will cross Big Creek and the wetlands surrounding it, providing a measure of protection to Mobile's drinking water supply. And $4 million was spent putting a thin layer of asphalt over environmentally sensitive areas along the roadway.

Much of the added $25 million was spent addressing design flaws that have caused the steep, manmade hills supporting the roadway to collapse. Those design flaws resulted in massive quantities of mud flowing into the Escatawpa River, several creeks and Big Creek Lake.

Harris said raw materials used in roadbuilding have increased in cost as much as 40 percent. He was unsure how much paving the first section would run, and so could not estimate the project's final cost.

The middle section was estimated to cost $47.5 million in August 2007, but that total will increase, he said. Officials now believe that section will require more bridges, increasing costs further.

"It's frustrating because we made a mistake and we've fixed it and the litigation has been going on about a year and a half and the issues continue to grow," McInnes said last week. "We'd like to get this project completed and move on."

(Press-Register Staff Reporter Ben Raines contributed to this report.)

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123650370375340.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123650370375340.xml&coll=3)

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Toll bridge traffic, Orange Beach revenue dip
Sunday, March 08, 2009
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter

ORANGE BEACH – For the second straight year, traffic on the Foley Beach Express toll bridge has declined, and with it so has the revenue that this city collects in its partnership with the span's owners.

After more than 3.3 million vehicles used the bridge to cross the Intracoastal Waterway in 2006, annual traffic counts slid to 2.9 million in 2007 and to fewer than 2.5 million in 2008, according to municipal records.

Those same records show that Orange Beach's toll share – 21 cents per vehicle if the annual count stands between 2 million and 3 million; 36 cents if it exceeds 3 million – has plummeted from $1.2 million in 2006 to $525,000 last year.

Meanwhile, a back-of-the-napkin estimate suggests that American Roads, the company that acquired the bridge about two years ago and raised tolls by 50 percent, has probably seen its take soar despite the decrease in traffic.

Neal Belitsky, chief executive officer of the company, which acquired three other Alabama toll roads when it bought the Orange Beach bridge, said in an e-mail that several factors led to decreased bridge use last year. Among them, he said: an early and chilly spring break, "hurricane fears from mid-August through late September," a slumping economy and high fuel prices.

"Roads, from coast to coast, reported lower vehicle (counts)," wrote Belitsky, whose company also operates the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel at the Canadian border. "The Beach Express is no different."

Toll increase Orange Beach officials acknowledge that economic factors played some part in the traffic drop. But they say the main reason was the toll increase, which took effect in March 2007 and upped the one-way rate to $1.50 from $1 for city residents and to $3 from $2 for others.

"They're doing better with reduced numbers," Mayor Tony Kennon said. "They actually make more money because they don't have to pay us as much."

Without the company opening its books, it's hard to know how many of the 3,376,211 vehicles that crossed the span in 2006 did so at the reduced residential rate – then $1 – how many were trucks that paid higher tolls, or how many were emergency vehicles that paid no toll.

By the numbers For ease of illustration, assume that all the vehicles crossing the span paid the standard fee, which was $2 in 2006 and $3 last year.

In 2006, the 3,376,211 vehicles would have generated $6,752,422. Because more than 3 million vehicles used the bridge, Orange Beach collected 36 cents for each one, or $1,215,435.96, records show. That would have left more than $5.5 million for the bridge owners.

Last year, using the same assumption, the 2,499,540 vehicles paying $3 apiece would have generated $7,498,620. Of that, the city's take, which was 21 cents per vehicle because there were fewer than 3 million, was $524,842.68, according to municipal records. The bridge owners, meanwhile, would have collected $6,973,716.60.

While the company's toll income is almost certainly lower than those figures due to discounted residential rates and free crossings during storm evacuations, the model shows how, by increasing the tolls, American Roads could boost its take even as the city received less.

Orange Beach negotiated its partnership with the bridge's original owners – a group that included the sons of former Gov. Fob James – in 2004. In exchange for 10 annual $1.2 million payments, the owners agreed to give Orange Beach a royalty for each vehicle that crossed the bridge over 60 years.

During the deal's first 10 years – 2009 will be its sixth – the bridge's owners owe the city royalties that increase as annual traffic counts surpass million-vehicle thresholds. Under terms of the deal, it takes 3,333,334 vehicles at a 36-cents-apiece rate for Orange Beach to break even on its annual $1.2 million payment.

After 2013, the city will collect 25 cents per vehicle, no matter the annual traffic count, for 50 years.

Meeting sought Kennon said that while the arrangement is a long-term moneymaker, it's become a financial drag in the near-term. To that end, the mayor said he has requested a meeting with the company to see if the rate structure can be changed to increase traffic.

"They've been very cordial, but have not indicated that they would come off of the current toll price," Kennon said.

And I bet that they will somehow be convinced to raise the toll instead of lowering it as it has become the commonality in the United States to raise the tolls to increase revenue. Several metropolitan areas are already increasing their toll revenues due to lack of ridership. IMO, this method does not work. Lowering tolls would be the optimal solution as I think it would increase ridership, making it more feasible for a motorist to use the toll facility instead of nearby crowded freeways and arterials.

Another Hurricane Evacuation Route (http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/another_hurricane_evacuation_route/17752/)

Checked this out today and construction is underway along 1.5 miles of new roadway, not two as the news article reported.

Quote from: froggie on March 09, 2009, 10:00:51 AM
Any idea what sort of interchange configuration they're looking at when they get up to I-10?

I've been in contact with a guy at ALDOT about other questions, including the new mileposts on Alabama 158 that count up from the U.S. 45 diamond interchange. After he writes me next, I'll inquire about the type of interchange at Baldwin County 68.

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123659017595530.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123659017595530.xml&coll=3)

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Hillsides crumble on new highway
ALDOT works to stabilize Ala. 158 (http://www.southeastroads.com/al-158.html) west of Interstate 65
Monday, March 09, 2009
By BEN RAINES
Staff Reporter

While Ala. 158 has been open to traffic for more than a year west of Interstate 65 in north Prichard, the hillsides supporting the road continue to crumble, in some cases taking bits of asphalt from the edge of the shoulder.

For the past several weeks, crews could be seen along the road adding dump truck load after dump truck load of rocks the size of a man's head to some of the hills in an effort to stabilize them.

Officials with the Alabama Department of Transportation said such work likely will continue for several months.

"We knew we had some issues along 158 that would require monitoring," said Tony Harris, a highway department spokesman. "We still have to monitor some areas along Interstate 65 every day. That's part of our responsibility."

The new roadway begins in Saraland and runs through Prichard. One day, it will link U.S. 98 coming in from Mississippi to Interstate 65. Transportation Department engineers have blamed the slope problems on design flaws. Designers with the highway department failed to account for the abundant rain around Mobile and had a poor understanding of the difficulties posed by the high water table in the wetlands the roads were built upon, according to previous interviews with Transportation officials.

Press-Register reporters walking along the road last week noted that nearly every one of the manmade hillsides under the road had suffered some form of collapse. Most of those collapses have occurred since August when reporters last surveyed the stretch. Telltale heaps of rock riprap have been placed where the collapses occurred. In some cases, sections of the hillsides adjacent to the rocks also ap pear to be failing.

Transportation officials said that some of the hills had been undermined due to groundwater pumping up into the hills from the underground aquifer. Other hills had collapsed because of stormwater runoff during heavy rains.

Harris said that monitoring wells bored through the road surface suggest that the dirt under the roadway has begun to settle in most places. That should limit the number of hillside collapses as time goes by, he said.

Mud from the collapses does not appear to have washed into the wetlands surrounding the road, though that did happen with earlier hillside collapses on both Ala. 158 and along a new section of U.S. 98 now under construction.

Transportation officials said the agency had removed 185 cubic yards of mud from wetlands along Ala. 158 since August, roughly equivalent to 18 dump truck loads. Some mud was left in wetlands, either because removing it would cause further damage or because it had been in place so long that plants had begun to grow upon it.

"One of the things that may be caus ing some of the (slope failures) is we need our vegetation to come in a little better. Springtime will help us get our grass established a little better," Harris said. "Four-wheelers have also caused some damage to some of our areas. They were having fun driving on our hills. We've put riprap on some of the slopes so they can't drive on them anymore."

Harris said crews working on stabilizing the hills along the unfinished section of U.S. 98 with a system of anchors would soon begin work on Ala. 158.

That system uses anchors buried in the earth to hold sections of chain-link fence to the ground. Transportation engineers hope the chain-link fence will hold the soil in place during heavy rains and prevent collapses.

"We've said all along that taking responsibility for any problems and issues along the new route was part of our job," Harris said. "We will continue to do that as we do for all of our roads."

He was unsure how much the additional work had cost so far and how much more work ultimately would be required.

flaroadgeek and I checked out the Foley Beach Express extension road work yesterday. I've posted a few photos on the blog (https://www.aaroads.com/blog/).

not impressed with the FBE work.  that's bullshit.  they should freewaytize that whole corridor.

Mast arm signals are beginning to appear in the Mobile area. A new traffic light installed within the past few weeks on Grelot Road in Mobile has Mississippi-style assemblies with angled black poles.

Also, spotted more new County pentagon shields in west Mobile. These 18" assemblies are posted at Schillinger Road (CR-31) and Howells Ferry Road (CR-72). Its funny that I used to imagine what pentagons would look like signed at all of these previously unsigned intersections, and now they are reality!

Definitely county installs. FWIW, all of the shields are only 18" in size.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-072_wb_after_cr-031.jpg)

Yes, and installs along Mobile Interstate ramps, U.S. highways, and State Highways are standard 24" shields. I've noted the 18" shields at Cottage Hill and Schillinger and CR-7 north at U.S. 98 as well so far.

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123866380945550.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123866380945550.xml&coll=3)

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Traffic study buoys foes of proposed I-10 bridge
Thursday, April 02, 2009
By DAN MURTAUGH
Staff Reporter

Mobile's maritime community and others have renewed calls to defeat a proposed Interstate 10 bridge after a federal study found that the Wallace Tunnel was not among the top 35 traffic bottlenecks in the country.

Officials with Keep Mobile Moving, a group that Mobile shipyard owners set up to oppose a downtown bridge, said the study showed that less drastic measures could fix the I-10 traffic problem.

The study released by the Federal Highway Administration in November listed the overall top 30 bottlenecks in the U.S.

The worst was in Los Angeles, where Interstate 710 meets Interstate 105.

No portion of I-10 in the Mobile area made the list, while five other I-10 intersections did.

"What you keep hearing is that Mobile is one of the worst bottlenecks, and it just never shows up," said Steve Perry, a consultant working for Keep Mobile Moving. "We see periodic backups, but we don't see everyday, all-day backups."

Keep Mobile Moving is pushing an alternate solution that would use electronic signs, Interstate 65, Interstate 165, the Cochrane-Africatown USA Bridge and the Causeway to get drivers around the Wallace Tunnel when there are backups.

In November, the Alabama Department of Transportation decided to shelve Keep Mobile Moving's proposal and instead focus its energy on building a new bridge south of the tunnel.

Highway department spokesman Tony Harris said any study looking at traffic now does not consider future growth.

With a new steel plant and container terminal coming online in Mobile County, the growth in freight traffic alone could be substantial, he said.

"Our responsibility to plan for the future has provided us ample reason to invest significant time and money into planning how we keep I-10 flowing in a way that does not cause Mobile to be held hostage and cause interstate commerce to grind to a halt," Harris said.

Highway department officials said the northern route would not take enough traffic away from the Wallace Tunnel.

The highway department is looking at three proposed bridge routes and considering adding a fourth "compromise route" that would be between those three, Harris said.

In a speech to the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce last week, highway department Director Joe McInnes said the department might be forced to "regulate" local access to the interstate if a bridge is not built.

"It would involve blocking all interstate ramps within the city and directing all local traffic through the Bankhead Tunnel and the Causeway," he said.

Shipyard owners have fought proposals for a new bridge because building one would cost Mobile's maritime economy between $41 million and $250 million a year, according to a report commissioned by the highway department.

The report states that a bridge could hurt the maritime industry in several ways:

Most oil rigs are too tall to fit under the bridge, so it would hurt Bender Shipbuilding's rig-repair facility north of the proposed routes.

A route that puts a bridge over the Alabama Cruise Terminal could cause Carnival Cruise Lines to stop docking there.

Any route would take land away from the shipyards along the riverfront, forcing them to cut back operations or completely close shop.

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones said Wednesday that at this point, local officials need to just find the least harmful bridge route and go with it.

"We don't need a national study to know if there's a bottleneck," he said. "We can just look out the window."

McInnes said the bridge would cost between $650 million and $700 million, and even if everything were approved today, it would take at least eight years to build.

Another road related article:

Mobile-area planning group OKs stimulus road projects

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123866371745550.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123866371745550.xml&coll=3)

The main stimulus project elements include a new bridge for Michigan Avenue over the CSX Railroad near Brookley Field, some traffic light improvements/replacements in Mobile, a signal on U.S. 43 in Creola, and a handful of resurfacing projects throughout the Mobile metropolitan area.

Got a response from Mobile County regarding the spotty signage of new county pentagons:

The signing of route numbers on some of the county roads is to help those who use state maps (atlas) to travel.  Most state maps do not show road names.

We have completed this task and no additional route numbers are to be posted.  We only posted county roads in the unincorporated areas of the county.

So how is it helpful to have County Road 72 posted at one intersection and no where else?  :crazy:

^^ Touché.


Be well,

Bryant

And a further response when asked about the placement of county road signage:

The routes that are numbered are posted at all ends and at the major intersections (for county roads only).  We do not post on any state routes (they would have to do this, and have at many locations).

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1239182161258240.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1239182161258240.xml&coll=3)

Officials set to build Mobile County's first traffic roundabout
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
By RHODA A. PICKETT
Staff Reporter

Mobile County officials said they are ready to build the county's first roundabout at Airport Boulevard Connector and Grelot Road, with other traffic circles planned in the future.

County officials said federal studies indicate that installing roundabouts at intersections causes a 90 percent reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries that result from "T-bone" type crashes.

"These intersections will do a lot for us," County Commission President Mike Dean said in a statement.

County officials said they believe roundabouts will save lives, reduce accidents and move traffic through some of the area's busiest intersections.

The cost of the Airport-Grelot roundabout is estimated to be $700,000, County Engineer Joe Ruffer said Tuesday. The County Commission has yet to bid the project, which will also include quarter-mile sections leading into the five-way traffic circle, Ruffer said.

County officials point to a Federal Highway Administration study that indicates roundabouts have delivered a 67 to 80 percent reduction in fatalities and serious injuries, and a 35 percent reduction in all crashes.

"The engineering department is behind this, and they feel like it has a lot of merit, and they will do it at appropriate intersections going forward," said county spokeswoman Nancy Johnson. "It saves lives, it saves fuel, and it saves time."

County officials recently showed the Press-Register's editorial board how the roundabouts would operate using a computer program that used information from an actual Mobile County intersection.

The usual design of roundabout resembles any other four-right-angled intersection, but the design of the Airport-Grelot roundabout will have five intersections. That's a change from the original traffic circle plan that was introduced in March 2007.

Dawes Road was to meet the Airport Connector north of the intersection and end Dawes in a cul-de-sac before the intersection, a design that drew criticism from a couple of Dawes Road business owners.

The current design is "a good decision," said John Graham, owner of West Mobile Gym Fitness & Kung Fu on Dawes Road. Graham ran against Dean last year for the District 3 County Commission seat.

"If I had won the County Commission race, I would have put one (traffic circle) right there," said Graham, who has traveled roundabouts throughout Europe and China. "During hurricanes, when the power is out, you don't have to worry about the traffic light. I would support having them all over Mobile."

The single lane in the roundabout will be 15 feet wide, around a 160-foot wide center circle. Drivers entering the roundabout will yield to drivers already traveling within it, engineers said. The traffic will move in a clockwise direction.

Mobile County is also Alabama's first county to receive funding from the High Risk Rural Road Program. The funding received from the program will be used to build another roundabout at Three Notch and Dawes Lane. County engineers are considering a third roundabout at Cottage Hill, Repoll and Jeff Hamilton roads, Ruffer said.

County officials plan to meet later this month with residents living near the Airport-Dawes roundabout, Johnson said.

More information about roundabouts is posted at the county's Web site, www.mobilecountyal.gov (http://www.mobilecountyal.gov).

Mobile County 39 extends southward from U.S. 90 on May 20, 2009. We checked it out three weeks ago and will definitely be driving it two weekends from now. Read more and see a few photos at https://www.aaroads.com/blog/?p=200 (https://www.aaroads.com/blog/?p=200)

Also noted more 18" county shield installs, more toward northern parts of the county. CR 21 and 96's intersection is well signed now. Also new 18" CR reassurance shields are posted at the respective intersections with AL-217.

Is or was there ever a bypass route of Brewton planned? Also the talks of four-laning Alabama 41 have yet to come to fruition. Was this not something planners wanted in the early 2000s?

There is either a new overpass going up on U.S. 84 in Repton at Alabama 41, or they are twinning the route there. Judging by the age of the current railroad under pass, it appears to be a replacement.

When people say "Baldwin County does the best job of signing their county routes in the state", I see why now after visiting Washington, Clarke, and Conecuh Counties and seeing virtually no county reassurnace markers whatsoever. Take for instance the intersections of Washington Counties 1 and 20 and then Washington Counties 8 and 9; neither junction includes any signs in any direction.

Quote from: aaroads on May 13, 2009, 03:03:23 AM
Mobile County 39 extends southward from U.S. 90 on May 20, 2009. We checked it out three weeks ago and will definitely be driving it two weekends from now. Read more and see a few photos at https://www.aaroads.com/blog/?p=200 (https://www.aaroads.com/blog/?p=200)

Well the Press-Register was misinformed, drove CR-39 yesterday and it is still not open. All of the lane striping is in place, but orange barrels still shunt drivers onto the U.S. 90 off-ramp. Did note that northbound signage is now in place, including a ramp speed sign.

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1243242944226050.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1243242944226050.xml&coll=3)

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Canal Road widening project remains stalled
Monday, May 25, 2009
By RYAN DEZEMBER
Staff Reporter

ORANGE BEACH – Three years ago, City Hall sent a $2.7 million check to the state's Transportation Department hoping that doing so would speed up the widening of an often congested stretch of Canal Road.

That money has been spent buying slivers of land from the owners of property along the east-west highway, which is also known as Ala. 180. But construction, once scheduled to begin by 2006 and pushed back twice – first to 2008 then to 2010 – isn't likely to begin anytime soon.

Today the state's best estimate is that work could begin in November 2010, said Vince Calametti, head of the Transportation Department's Mobile division. The startup date could move one way or another, state officials said, depending on when the state can close deals on rights of way, how soon utilities can be moved, and which higher-priority highway projects can be completed using federal stimulus money.   

In 2006, with Orange Beach in the midst of an unprecedented building boom and flush with hurricane recovery funds, giving the state $2.7 million to expedite a road project was only mildly debated.

Officials who raised questions quickly relented, reasoning that with significant development planned along Canal Road, it made sense to widen the highway.

Much of that development, however, never came to pass.

Largely because of the real estate reversal, the city's financial state has taken a U-turn. Last winter, 23 workers were laid off. Mundane items like new employee uniforms were nixed from this year's budget. City Hall even adopted policies mandating the printing of two-sided documents and the unplugging of unused office equipment to save money.

Said Mayor Tony Kennon: "$2.7 million would be great right now."

The Canal Road project will add two lanes to a 2cm HALF-mile, three-lane section, starting by The Wharf, where the road has already been widened by developers of the residential, retail and entertainment complex.

Kennon said that he recently met with Gov. Bob Riley, who told him that it would be among those bumped up in the Transportation Department's to-do list when other projects that are "shovel-ready" are paid for by the $514 million in transportation funding coming to Alabama through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The governor, Kennon said, "assured me it's at the very top of the list."

Transportation Department officials in Montgomery and Todd Stacy, a Riley spokesman, said the stimulus money will have a domino effect on highway projects statewide, moving many that are planned but not quite ready for construction up the queue for state funding.

Still, there are some obstacles, unforeseen when the project was first planned, that have the potential to delay the work further.

By receiving the $2.7 million from Orange Beach, the state was able to begin buying the necessary land along the 2cm HALF-mile corridor. Three years in, though, that effort still continues.

Calametti said that most sales have been finalized and agreements are in place for every other parcel, though not all those deals have been closed.

Baldwin County court records show, for example, that the Transportation Department and the owners of the Cypress Village development have been in a dispute over the state's attempt to acquire rights of way there since October 2007. In a March court filing, lawyers from both sides say they have agreed on a price for the property but separate disputes involving the property owners have kept the deal from closing.

In all, the right-of-way acquisition has cost about $3.7 million, Calametti said.

Once the property is obtained, the next step will be to clear the corridor of utilities, Calametti said: "The right of way is very tight there and there are a lot of conflicts."

While construction of the extra lanes is expected to cost $6.8 million, it could run around $8 million to relocate the water and sewer lines, power poles, gas pipes and stormwater ditches, said Rebecca Leigh White, a Transportation Department spokeswoman.

It does not appear that the lawsuit between ALDOT and MAWSS/Mobile Baykeeper is approaching a resolution yet. MAWSS is the utility responsible for supplying Mobile with drinking water, and they use Big Creek Lake as their source. The new U.S. 98 was under construction north of the present two-lane crossing on the north side of the reservoir. MAWSS and Mobile Baykeeper (an environmental group) content that the new project was done recklessly with regards to the environment and wetlands, and are requiring that catch basins be built to collect any major chemical run-off from the new highway. ALDOT has thus not added these basins to the project design, though no other work has been done since the project was halted quite some time ago.

Read more at http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/124402054473220.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/124402054473220.xml&coll=3)

SunHerald/Associated Press article (http://www.sunherald.com/newsupdates/story/1404478.html)

Fox10 story (http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/on_the_money/local_economy/City_Officials_Talk_I_10_Bridge_Proposal)

More recent Fox10 story (http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/mobile_news/I10_connector_could_help_with_traffic)

Mobile Press-Register article (http://blog.al.com/live/2009/06/mobile_mayor_time_to_quit_bick.html)

A few articles leading up to and after an announcement by Mobile Mayor Sam Jones endorsing a routing for a new I-10 bridge over the Mobile River.

The route endorsed by the mayor and the city is "Alt B Shifted", shown in red on this map (http://blog.al.com/live/2009/06/Bridge%20Map.pdf).

The city chose the route they felt would be least disruptive to the city and maritime interests.

The bridge project...which has been off-and-on for over a decade now (I personally attended a public meeting on the bridge back in November, 2001)...is supported by city and business leaders and many commuters, but is bitterly opposed by shipyard interests/owners and historic preservationists.

They're crossing the shipping channel at an angle.

Usually you want to avoid doing that.

Jones sent a letter indicating his position to the state highway department. It's the first official position the city has taken since all seven City Council members signed a letter in August 2006 opposing any route south of downtown and urging renewed consideration of northerly routes.

City Council President Reggie Copeland attended Jones' news conference, and said he backs Jones' choice.

"We're just going around in circles," Copeland said. "We need to get something done."

Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris said the state has a good chance of getting funding for the bridge in a federal transportation bill that is being put together by Congress now.

Jones said he felt an urgency to speak out in advance of that bill. "If we don't have a consensus here, we're going to miss that," he said.

The bridge has been estimated to cost anywhere from $600 million to $660 million.

Even if the bridge does receive funding, it's years away from completion, according to Harris. State and federal officials are still examining the impacts of several routes, including the one that Jones supports.

Once that study is complete, the highway department will hold several public hearings in Mobile about the bridge. After that, it will settle on a route.

Harris said that Jones' position will play a role in the final decision.

After a route is selected, Harris said, the bridge would still need to be designed and engineered and then, finally, constructed.

Jones said the city will have some input in the design and added that he wants to make it beautiful. He said one idea could include putting colorful lights up and down the spans to match with the spire of the RSA Tower office building downtown.

---

Jones picks bridge route he supports
Thursday, June 11, 2009
By DAN MURTAUGH
Staff Reporter

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones recommended a particular route Wednesday for an Interstate 10 bridge over Mobile River, saying it was time to stop delaying and pick the path.

Jones said he supports a bridge route that runs from a point south of the Alabama Cruise Terminal, over the Harrison Brothers Dry Dock and Repair Yard, and north of the Austal shipbuilding expansion.

The route is a few hundred yards south of the Wallace Tunnel on I-10.

"There is no perfect alternative," Jones said at a news conference outside his office overlooking the west-side entrance of the tunnel. "But it's important to choose the route that's the least disruptive to the community as a whole."

The need for a new bridge over Mobile River has been debated since 1996. State and federal highway officials believe a bridge situated south of downtown is the most feasible way to clear congestion in Wallace Tunnel.

The tunnel, with two lanes in each direction, can become a bottleneck during peak traffic hours and tourism seasons, causing backups that extend for miles.

But a bridge has garnered opposition from a wide swath of the community, including shipyard owners – whose industry would lose between $40 million and $250 million a year in work, according to a study – and historic preservationists, who argue that the city's downtown would be marred by a bridge.

Bill Harrison IV, president of Harrison Brothers, said he's not surprised the mayor supports a route that would put a bridge pylon in the middle of his property. He said various proposed routes have gone through his shipyard since the beginning of the process.

"If they started this thing in the fourth ring of hell, it would still go over Harrison Brothers to get where it's going," he said.

Harrison Brothers was founded in 1895, and Harrison said he believes it's the oldest family-owned shipyard in the country. He said he will keep his business open as long as he can, but the bridge could "obliterate" all of his work.

Jones sent a letter indicating his position to the state highway department. It's the first official position the city has taken since all seven City Council members signed a letter in August 2006 opposing any route south of downtown and urging renewed consideration of northerly routes.

City Council President Reggie Copeland attended Jones' news conference, and said he backs Jones' choice.

"We're just going around in circles," Copeland said. "We need to get something done."

Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris said the state has a good chance of getting funding for the bridge in a federal transportation bill that is being put together by Congress now.

Jones said he felt an urgency to speak out in advance of that bill. "If we don't have a consensus here, we're going to miss that," he said.

The bridge has been estimated to cost anywhere from $600 million to $660 million.

Even if the bridge does receive funding, it's years away from completion, according to Harris. State and federal officials are still examining the impacts of several routes, including the one that Jones supports.

Once that study is complete, the highway department will hold several public hearings in Mobile about the bridge. After that, it will settle on a route.

Harris said that Jones' position will play a role in the final decision.

After a route is selected, Harris said, the bridge would still need to be designed and engineered and then, finally, constructed.

Jones said the city will have some input in the design and added that he wants to make it beautiful. He said one idea could include putting colorful lights up and down the spans to match with the spire of the RSA Tower office building downtown.

Any of these routes will shorten the drive in time (more so) and mileage between Mississippi and Florida!

I am trying to keep all of the Mobile/Baldwin County related material in one thread for easier reference.

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/124479820251530.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/124479820251530.xml&coll=3)

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Bridge opponent promises to fight
Edington says litigation could stall project for years
Friday, June 12, 2009
By DAN MURTAUGH
Staff Reporter

An opponent of a proposed Interstate 10 bridge said Thursday that there will "no doubt be litigation" if the state highway department chooses any route south of downtown Mobile.

"If they won't reconsider and look at a northern route, then in that case, there would no doubt be litigation," Mobile attorney Bob Edington said. "It would tie up the project for several years, and eventually the government will get tired of fooling with us."

On Wednesday, Mobile Mayor Sam Jones announced his support for a route that would run south of the Alabama Cruise Terminal, over Harrison Brothers Dry Dock and Repair Yard and north of Austal's new shipbuilding facility.

Jones said he hoped that engineers could work with those who oppose the bridge to make tweaks that would lessen the impact. He said he did not know whether they could tweak it enough to avoid a lawsuit.

"It's hard to say. There are a lot of lawyers," he joked.

Jones' preferred route would put a bridge pylon right in the middle of Harrison Brothers' property. On Wednesday, Bill Harrison IV, president of the company, said that while a bridge could "obliterate" his business, he doubted he would be able to sue to stop it.

"The rules of eminent domain are such that our rights are very limited in our position," he said.

State and federal highway officials have said that a bridge situated south of downtown is the most feasible way to clear congestion in the Wallace Tunnel, which can become a bottleneck during peak traffic hours and tourism seasons, causing backups that extend for miles.

Opposition to the bridge, which includes shipyard owners and historic preservationists, has pushed for the state highway department to instead use electronic signs, interstates 65 and 165, the Cochrane-Africatown USA Bridge and the Causeway to get drivers around the Wallace Tunnel when there are backups.

State highway department officials last year dismissed such a route, saying it would not take enough cars out of the tunnel to alleviate traffic.

Jones said he asked his engineering department to look at the proposed routes and find the one that is least harmful to the city.

According to a memo from City Engineer Nick Amberger, who used to work for the state highway department, the other three routes would have greater impacts on shipyards or the city's cruise ship terminal.

In August 2006, all seven City Council members signed a letter to the state highway department saying they were concerned about the negative impacts a bridge could have and asking the state to consider the northern route.

Council President Reggie Copeland said Wednesday that he supported Jones' decision.

On Thursday, several other council members said Jones did not let them know about his decision before he announced it.

Councilwoman Connie Hudson said she would need to see the information Jones had been privy to before making her decision.

"I'm not opposed to his preference, but in order to stand there alongside the mayor, it would be nice to have the same information," she said.

Councilmen William Carroll and Fred Richardson said they now believe a bridge is necessary, but they needed to see more information before knowing whether they agreed that Jones' choice of routes was the best.

Councilman John Williams said he stood with the maritime industry in opposition to any new bridge.

"I cannot picture a bridge going across the south part of our city," he said. "The people work on the water, the maritime industry, they're not at all satisfied with that option."

Council members Gina Gregory and Clinton Johnson could not be reached for comment.

of course there are some in the mobile area that say the tunnel is perfect but i say look at the traffic jams a tunnel is needed

Perdido Beach is Baldwin County's newest town

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/124497105971650.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/124497105971650.xml&coll=3)

Magnolia Springs incorporated in 2006. Lillian tried to do the same last year or in 2008.

There used to never really be problems at the tunnel, but with increasing traffic, especially beach-bound drivers on the weekends, I have seen tunnel back-ups from nothing more than congestion a number of times this spring.

I like Alt B. better, but I have to wonder whether the crossing over Mobile bay is more important.

No it isn't.  Because without a new bridge or a new tunnel at the river, or a vastly-upgraded route to the Cochrane-Africatown bridge upstream (via US 90), you'd have 8 lanes on the "Bayway" (Mobile Bay crossing) narrowing to a 4-lane bottleneck at the tunnel.

The McDonald Road extension is now open. Drove the new road today and will post some photos later.

The road keeps a grassy median heading south to a point just north of Half Mile Road, where the road loses its median but still maintains four lanes. The south end connects with two-lane Padgett Switch Road at a new traffic light with Half Mile Road.

Two crossovers were added between the Park Boulevard/Gibson Road turn-offs and Half Mile Road as well. The road is signed with a 55 mph speed limit and a fair number of cars were already using it this afternoon.

Some photos of the freshly opened Mobile County 39 extension:

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-039_sb_at_gibson_rd_park_bl.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-039_sb_at_gibson_rd_park_bl.jpg)

Mobile County 39 (which loses pentagons south of U.S. 90) at the Gibson Road east and Park Boulevard west turn-off. No cross traffic is permitted here, but a crossover lies just south of the turn lanes. Both roads are local in nature, but do connect with Mobile County 19 to the west and Padgett Switch Road (CR 23) to the east.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/half_mile_rd_eb_at_cr-039.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/half_mile_rd_eb_at_cr-039.jpg)

No Mobile County 39 shields are posted at the south end of the new road. Instead Interstate 10 and U.S. 90 trailblazers are posted in all directions. The traffic light at Padgett Switch Road replaced a flasher/stop sign.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-039_nb_after_half_mile_rd.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-039_nb_after_half_mile_rd.jpg)

Heading north on Mobile County 39, the road widens with the gain of a grassy median.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-039_nb_at_us-090.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-039_nb_at_us-090.jpg)

New interchanges in Mobile County are signed weakly. The Alabama 158 interchange with U.S. 45 includes just a couple of U.S. 45 shields and no green guide signs. The junction with CR 39 and U.S. 90 is the same, except that an unneeded "TO" banner is added to the U.S. 90 shield on northbound.

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1246094120320240.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1246094120320240.xml&coll=3)

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State officials say U.S. 98 construction problems solved
Saturday, June 27, 2009
By BEN RAINES
Staff Reporter

A hazardous waste containment system is in place, along with 45 wetland retention ponds and mountains of rock sitting atop the hills that used to collapse with every rain.

The U.S. 98 project in west Mobile looks vastly different than it did a year ago, and an inspection by Press-Register reporters this week made clear that much has been done to address environmental problems at the site.

Gone are the obvious plumes of mud smothering acres of wetlands. Big Creek Lake no longer runs red with construction runoff. The hundreds of acres of red clay present during construction have been replaced with a vast meadow of grass.

Several miles of the roadway have been covered with a thin layer of asphalt. A cruise down that stretch, which snakes through rolling, wooded hills, suggests the new U.S. 98 will be one of the more attractive drives in the southern part of the state. There is even talk among officials of applying for a "scenic byways" designation.

Alabama Department of Transportation officials say they have done what they promised when the problems along the roadway became apparent two years ago.

"We have made it right," said spokesman Tony Harris. "We have delivered a system that will contain a hazardous material spill as promised. We've stopped the mud."

Now, he said, the agency wants to settle the twin state and federal lawsuits filed in response to the construction problems and get back to paving the rest of the rerouted stretch. Transportation engineer Buddy Cox said that even if the lawsuits were settled immediately, three to five years of road construction remain to be completed.

Much remains to be done, including constructing more than 1,000 feet of bridge over wetlands surrounding Big Creek. Highway officials said the bridge project has been frozen for more than a year because of the uncertainties related to lawsuits filed by the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System and Attorney General Troy King. Both suits were joined by the Mobile Baykeeper environmental group.

While local politicians have blamed Baykeeper for the failure to settle the lawsuits, MAWSS and the Transportation Department still have not come to terms acceptable to both parties.

Officials with both groups say the gap between them is narrowing but still not quite closed. Those officials said they could not comment on the remaining issues because of a confidentiality agreement in place for the MAWSS lawsuit.

One key sticking point had been a system designed to capture chemicals in the event of a tanker truck accident near Big Creek Lake, Mobile's drinking water reservoir. Such a system is now in place, according to transportation officials.

The system, which includes remotely controlled valves, is designed to contain hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid, while the typical tanker truck carries about 9,000 gallons. The extra capacity is designed to ensure hazardous materials are kept out of Big Creek, should a truck spill something during a major rainstorm.

The system can accommodate 7 inches of rain in a six-hour period, allowing emergency responders plenty of time to address an accident-related spill, according to transportation officials.

Meanwhile, on Monday, MAWSS director Malcolm Steeves asked the Mobile County Commission for $2.25 million to build a hazardous waste containment system at the head of Big Creek Lake. Steeves said the system would serve as an extra measure of protection for Mobile's only drinking water supply.

The device would be built south of the existing U.S. 98 bridge and would also provide protection from an accident on the CSX railway bridge over Big Creek.

"It's meant to contain hazardous spills that either float or sink. If it is soluble in water it won't do anything. But if its oil, it will stop it, and if it is heavier than water, it will stop it," Steeves said.

Casi Callaway, with Mobile Baykeeper, said progress was being made toward addressing her group's concerns, but she wants ALDOT to put certain things in writing, such as a pledge to maintain the hazardous waste system.

"We want access to the roadway limited as promised. We want it put in writing that no one can ever build a big box store or a fast-food restaurant out there along that stretch of road," Callaway said. "This is the watershed for our drinking water. We do not want to encourage rampant growth out there."

Harris, with ALDOT, said he was limited in what he could say because of the lawsuits.

"We are still engaged in settlement discussions with MAWSS. Mediation is scheduled in the attorney general lawsuit for next week," Harris said when asked to address Callaway's concerns. "Those are issues that can be discussed when mediation begins."

Whatever happened to the proposed Exit 37 on I-10?

Quote from: lamsalfl on July 14, 2009, 03:49:04 AM
Whatever happened to the proposed Exit 37 on I-10?

Last I heard people on the north side of the freeway wanted it redesigned to tie into a planned service road. I have heard nothing new on it in quite awhile, so perhaps its time for an email to ALDOT about it.

Scientists say Causeway hurting the bay; propose experiment

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/124885891042610.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/124885891042610.xml&coll=3)

The article examines environmental impacts from the 1926-built causeway with suggestions to add more bridges along the route to increase water flow into Chocolotta Bay.

Contractor uses conveyor belts in wetland restoration at U.S. 98 construction site

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1249636511169960.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1249636511169960.xml&coll=3)

More in the lengthening project to build a new U.S. 98 alignment around Wilmer and Big Creek Lake...

Quote from: AARoads on August 07, 2009, 03:04:24 PM
Contractor uses conveyor belts in wetland restoration at U.S. 98 construction site

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1249636511169960.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1249636511169960.xml&coll=3)

More in the lengthening project to build a new U.S. 98 alignment around Wilmer and Big Creek Lake...

Environment saving win?  :colorful:

Earnhardt's name off motorsports park project

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1250088317243650.xml&coll=3 (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1250088317243650.xml&coll=3)

The project involves building a major sports/entertainment complex in the undeveloped land north of Alabama 158 between U.S. 45 and CR-55. I've been skeptical of the whole thing coming to fruition, given the economy and all, and this latest news is one in a series of setbacks to the planners of the project.

As envisioned, the project would include a possible diamond interchange west of the current diamond at CR-55, for the park's west entrance.

Since Dale, Jr. and the family are no longer sporting the motorsports park, maybe they can change it from being a NASCAR facility to an ASSCAR facility (Alabama's $hitty Stock Car Auto Racing).

I-10 near Mobile reopens
(http://www.pnj.com/article/20090902/NEWS01/90902013)

September 2, 2009,

One lane of the westbound bridge of Interstate 10 east of Mobile has reopened.

A tractor-trailer damaged by fire on Interstate 10, just east of Mobile, closed the road for several hours.
Motorists traveling to and from Mobile via Interstate 10 westbound were forced to find alternate routes.
The road has was closed for more than five hours.
The fire, which broke out after 10 a.m. was extinguished shortly before noon today.
Information on injuries was not available today.

I was watching CNN at lunch today when they showed the tractor trailer ablaze on the Bayway. It was a pretty intense fire and kept the westbound lanes of Interstate 10 closed for a good part of the day. The accident occurred around 10ish this morning as the 18-wheeler was heading westbound. Hopefully I can get a picture or two tomorrow of the scorch marks when I head that way... :eyebrow:

I-10 service road would connect Baldwin County malls (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1253092552129170.xml&coll=3)

QuoteBaldwin County's highway department has applied for a permit to build a road connecting two Spanish Fort malls, but it remains to be seen whether the company that owns the land involved is still interested.

That company, TimberCreek Land Co., had pledged $2 million toward the construction of what is being billed as an Interstate 10 service road, provided the roadway was started by the summer of 2010. Baldwin County highway officials estimated that construction could begin in three to six months, with completion 18 to 24 months after that.

The road would run roughly parallel to the interstate and connect Bass Pro Shops Drive to Woodrow Lane, which intersects Ala. 181 near the Eastern Shore Centre.

---

Also FYI, the button copy mileage sign (http://www.southeastroads.com/alabama001/i-010_eb_mileage_sign_01.jpg) posted after AL 59 was replaced this summer.

ALDOT's site sucks for looking up plans.  Anything rumored such as I-10 widening anywhere?

South Alabama Road Notes (https://www.aaroads.com/blog/?p=219)

Some photos and notes covering the latest section of the Foley Beach Express, Clearview font, and Alabama 181.

A new traffic light is about to activate at the ever-important intersection of U.S. 90 with Renaissance Boulevard near Malbis. Renaissance Boulevard is a new road serving a new business park between the two-lane highway and Interstate 10, located midway between lights with Alabama 181 and County Road 13. The assembly utilizes mast-arm fixtures.

Incidentally, the street sign for CR-13 indicates the road as "Old County Route 13"...

Baykeeper, DOT settle lawsuit on U.S. 98 project (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1255770962224260.xml&coll=3)

QuoteThe Transportation Department plans to replace a two-lane section of U.S. 98 from the Mississippi state line eastward to at least Semmes. The project is years behind schedule and more than $40 million over budget, and the Press-Register has discovered and documented numerous environmental violations. Those violations resulted in tens of thousands of pounds of mud smothering wetlands along the eight-mile project and flowing into Big Creek Lake, Mobile's only drinking water supply.

98 settlement removes block to first section (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/125603020532650.xml&coll=3)

The article refers to three intersections:

QuoteThose intersections will feature access ramps typically seen at interstate exits.

Last I remember, the few interchanges planned along the route were scaled back to intersections due to funding...

Not sure about the other intersections, but within the gallery on the project website is a rendering of the intersection at Wilmer Georgetown Rd, which shows a "one-quadrant interchange"...Wilmer Georgetown Rd bridged over US 98, with an access road connecting the two.

http://blog.al.com/live/2009/10/state_previews_i-10_to_i-65_to.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2009/10/state_previews_i-10_to_i-65_to.html)

State previews I-10 to I-65 toll road routes in Baldwin County

Given the location, sounds like an extension of the Foley Beach Express.  Not to mention a possible corridor for the West Alabama Interstate...

Three notes of interest from my evening ride to Mobile.

The replacement of fog detection equipment on the I-10 Bayway that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina is nearing completion. All of the overhead dynamic message signs have been replaced and are operational (displaying the typical keep right except to pass and hazmat info for the tunnel fwiw). The dynamic speed limit signs were replaced as well, but are not yet operational. Work is being done at night to minimize the impact to traffic.

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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southeastroads.com%2Falabama050%2Fi-065_nb_frontage_road_sb_app_us-098.jpg&hash=fdb22018d9b36f10093109c1ac08d158ed4c1e90)

Decided to take the U.S. 98/Moffett Road exit from I-65 north tonight, and was unpleasantly surprised that this intersection was reconfigured to accommodate two right-hand protected turn lanes!  :banghead: Had to sit there for about two minutes while three cars passed by along U.S. 98 to make a simple right... And for those who notice sign changes like me, the middle panel was replaced and now includes two down arrows...

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And while that last change rubbed me the wrong way, one approved change to report about...

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southeastroads.com%2Falabama070%2Fus-090_eb_at_i-065_sb_03.jpg&hash=fdff47fe64e6af1a944b4e5899410ccf86346336)

Two of the cloverleaf ramps were removed at Exit 1 by 2005, resulting in the addition of two new traffic lights on U.S. 90. For those traveling along eastbound, they restriped eastbound into an "exit only" configuration for movements onto Interstate 65. Travelers taking U.S. 90 east to Interstate 65 north may now bypass the signal beyond the sign bridge. Rubber pylons line the striping between the two main lanes and the exit lane for the northbound freeway.

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And for anyone familiar with Schillinger Road, the amount of new sprawl on that road is mind boggling. There's an entire new apartment complex north of Grelot Road, followed by yet another new strip mall, and all of the land is now cleared along northbound after the intersection with Cottage Hill Road. Evidently there was never a recession in West Mobile...

Community Wants Progress on 98 Bypass (http://www.wkrg.com/alabama/article/community_wants_progress_on_98_bypass/544672/Nov-25-2009_10-05-pm/)

Bankhead Tunnel to close for a week.

http://blog.al.com/live/2009/11/bankhead_tunnel_to_close_for_a.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2009/11/bankhead_tunnel_to_close_for_a.html)

Quote from: AARoads on February 11, 2009, 06:34:30 PM
There are still several signs along Papermill Road that still indicate U.S. 90/98T being U.S. 90T/98T. Considering the vacuum leftover from the International Paper plant closure in 2000, I doubt they will be updated anytime soon.

I noticed that myself

Mobile observations:

It appears that Truck US 98 actually runs along I-165 North to I-65, that is what the signage I saw tended to indicate.

Also, for some odd reason the ramp from westbound Airport Blvd to Southbound I-65 is marked as Exit 3.

I also found US 43 ending to be kind of odd.  I would have thought it would have ended at the connecting road to US 90 not at the underpass for US 90.

The bottleneck that occurs north of Howells Ferry Road needs to be addressed. But something other than a five-lane arterial awaiting more commercial development should be sought...

SCHILLINGER ROAD (http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/1260195308286060.xml&coll=3)
Residents asked to attend, comment on design and effects

QuoteResidents are asked to attend an informal hearing on the proposed widening of Schillinger Road on Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m., at the John Archer Center, 1070 Schillinger Road N.

Alabama Department of Trans portation officials will discuss the proposed widening of Schillinger Road from two to five lanes from Howells Ferry Road to north of Moffett Road (U.S. 98). There will not be a formal presentation, but preliminary maps and state and local officials will be available to answer questions, county spokeswoman Nancy Johnson said in a news release.

Residents are asked to comment on the roadway's design and its consistency with local and regional planning efforts, as well as to submit comments on the social, economical and environmental impacts of the proposed project.

Those views may be submitted in writing at the meeting, or by mailing them within 10 business days after the meeting to: Vincent E. Calametti, Division Engineer, Alabama Department of Transportation, 1701 I-65 West Service Road N., Mobile, AL 36618-1109. Comments also may be sent to hammamis@dot.state.al.us.

^^ I wondered about Schillinger Rd dropping to two lanes for a stretch when I drove it earlier today.  I did not know that AL 42 was signed at Schillinger Rd intersection with US 98.

Quote from: jdb1234 on December 07, 2009, 06:04:30 PM
^^ I wondered about Schillinger Rd dropping to two lanes for a stretch when I drove it earlier today.  I did not know that AL 42 was signed at Schillinger Rd intersection with US 98.

That must be a brand new sign assembly, as all that I have ever seen there was an older style U.S. 98 <-> sign on Schillinger Road north and nothing on Schillinger Road south. Are there CR-31 pentagons posted there now? If so, that is probably why the AL-42 shields were added. They did the same thing on CR-5 northbound, signing AL-42 with U.S. 98. I'll be posting the photo of that this week.

I think the reason why Schillinger Road has remained at just two lanes between Howells Ferry Road (CR-72) and U.S. 98 is because of the at-grade railroad crossing. That is one rough crossing, and any improvement to it is welcomed.

Widening is also finally underway along Old Shell Road between Schillinger Road and Hillcrest Road FWIW.

Quote from: AARoads on December 07, 2009, 06:09:21 PM

That must be a brand new sign assembly, as all that I have ever seen there was an older style U.S. 98 <-> sign on Schillinger Road north and nothing on Schillinger Road south. Are there CR-31 pentagons posted there now? If so, that is probably why the AL-42 shields were added. They did the same thing on CR-5 northbound, signing AL-42 with U.S. 98. I'll be posting the photo of that this week.

Yes, there are CR 31 pentagons posted.  I believe AL 42 is signed in both direction on Schillinger Rd @ US 98.  I know I saw it northbound.

QuoteI think the reason why Schillinger Road has remained at just two lanes between Howells Ferry Road (CR-72) and U.S. 98 is because of the at-grade railroad crossing. That is one rough crossing, and any improvement to it is welcomed.

That is one rough railroad crossing.  I think though any widening is going to be countered with more development and more congestion.

QuoteWidening is also finally underway along Old Shell Road between Schillinger Road and Hillcrest Road FWIW.

I saw that and I have a photo of some of the construction while I was down there.  I used Old Shell Rd to get to the University of South Alabama and I cannot stand driving on Airport Blvd.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs761.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx260%2Fjdbarnes1234%2F101_0767.jpg&hash=aead30470cbabbd6217e6727289e12acd2a6ba32)

Quote from: jdb1234 on December 07, 2009, 06:23:15 PM

Quote from: AARoads on December 07, 2009, 06:09:21 PM

That must be a brand new sign assembly, as all that I have ever seen there was an older style U.S. 98 <-> sign on Schillinger Road north and nothing on Schillinger Road south. Are there CR-31 pentagons posted there now? If so, that is probably why the AL-42 shields were added. They did the same thing on CR-5 northbound, signing AL-42 with U.S. 98. I'll be posting the photo of that this week.

Yes, there are CR 31 pentagons posted.  I believe AL 42 is signed in both direction on Schillinger Rd @ US 98.  I know I saw it northbound.

Yes, those CR-31 pentagons are new. Funny, when I wrote the county engineers about their signing 6 months ago, they commented that "all signing is completed". Yet I've found several more instances of new shields throughout the county.

Quote from: jdb1234 on December 07, 2009, 06:23:15 PM

QuoteI think the reason why Schillinger Road has remained at just two lanes between Howells Ferry Road (CR-72) and U.S. 98 is because of the at-grade railroad crossing. That is one rough crossing, and any improvement to it is welcomed.

That is one rough railroad crossing.  I think though any widening is going to be countered with more development and more congestion.

Unfortunately it will occur, and more rapidly with Schillinger Road widening to five lanes. Schillinger is a road I avoid at all costs, outside of perhaps the stretch between Howells Ferry Road south to Zeigler Road. Even taking Schillinger Road north to Howells Ferry Road is FAIL because of how long the left-hand lane backs up because of the aforementioned bottleneck.

Quote from: jdb1234 on December 07, 2009, 06:23:15 PM

QuoteWidening is also finally underway along Old Shell Road between Schillinger Road and Hillcrest Road FWIW.

I saw that and I have a photo of some of the construction while I was down there.  I used Old Shell Rd to get to the University of South Alabama and I cannot stand driving on Airport Blvd.

Old Shell has needed the widening for a long time, but unfortunately, it destroyed the character of the road east from Dickens Ferry Road to the University when they expanded that section. The current section being widened was not much to look at pre-widening however.

As a rule, I never use Airport Boulevard, and with Old Shell being under construction, the shortcut I use via Alverson Road north from Airport Boulevard is even out. I always use either Cottage Hill Road or Spring Hill Avenue/Zeigler Boulevard. Spring Hill/Zeigler is the most efficient of the east-west arterials...

And here is one of the Alabama 42 shields posted on CR 5:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southeastroads.com%2Falabama005%2Fcr-005_nb_app_us-098.jpg&hash=363b49bdaf6619ef4065970ffc3ee1c113e8635f)

That AL 42 shield looks a bit off on the state outline...

Quote from: jdb1234 on December 05, 2009, 11:12:09 PM

Mobile observations:

Also, for some odd reason the ramp from westbound Airport Blvd to Southbound I-65 is marked as Exit 3.

I was looking through my photo archives today and noticed that Exit 3 guide sign on Airport Boulevard west in my 2007 photos. It did not catch my attention then, nor has it on my many trips back to Mobile now...

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southeastroads.com%2Falabama999%2Fairport_blvd_wb_at_i-065_sb.jpg&hash=8288330996565bced7f2545e0e4bc6fb8beee238)

Just posted this photo tonight of the Exit 3 sign on Airport Boulevard (http://www.southeastroads.com/cr-056_al.html). Also added a number of other westbound photos to the page in a much needed update.

I will be adding much more Mobile area coverage in my next batch of updates (http://www.southeastroads.com/updates.html).

Traffic decline forces Orange Beach to borrow millions to meet toll bridge obligations (http://blog.al.com/live/2009/12/traffic_decline_forces_orange.html)

QuoteTraffic on the Beach Express toll bridge is on pace to fall for the third straight year, putting the city's taxpayers in a pinch and forcing them to borrow millions of dollars to meet their obligations in a revenue-sharing pact with the span's owners.

Nearly 250,000 cars would have to cross the Intracoastal Waterway this month to meet last year's traffic count of 2.5 million. But more importantly, it would take more than a million trips -- the equivalent of three busy summer months plus one December -- to generate the returns the city needs to match the $1.2 million it pays the owners each January.

Notes from yesterday's drive to Mobile.

High mast arm lighting is now in place at the Santa Rosa County 191 (Exit 26) diamond interchange. The construction signs advertise a Spring 2010 completion date, but it should not be much longer...

Two concrete support posts are in place along Interstate 10 westbound near the Florida Welcome Center. I suspsect that a variable message sign bridge will be added.

Variable speed limit signs are partially operating on the Interstate 10 Bayway. The signs feature black numbers on a light blue background.

While poking around Streetview last week, I happened across a set of signals in Prichard I was unaware of. The five-way intersection with old Bay Bridge Road, Grover Avenue, and Willjohn Street lies just north of U.S. 90 & 98 Truck (new Bay Bridge Road) but handles only local traffic and trucks from an adjacent business. I drove through it yesterday and what is left of the traffic lights flash red for Grove Avenue and Willjohn Street and yellow for Bay Bridge Road:


(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/grover_av_sb_at_bay_bridge_rd.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/grover_av_sb_at_bay_bridge_rd.jpg)

Drove Schillinger Road south through U.S. 98 to see the new Alabama 42 signs mentioned by jdb1234. The classic shield posted on northbound (http://www.southeastroads.com/alabama030/cr-031_nb_at_us-098_02.jpg) was unfortunately replaced with the new sign installations. These "platform shoe" style Alabama shields also exist in Wilmer (posted previously).  :spin:


(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-031_sb_at_us-098.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-031_sb_at_us-098.jpg)

Two changes at the intersection of U.S. 90 (Broad Street), and Spring Hill Avenue (U.S. 98) near downtown. First a westbound lane was striped out of the eastbound only side of Spring Hill Avenue leading into Broad Street. It appears Spring Hill Avenue was made two-way eastward to St. Louis Street. Second, some changes in the buildings along Broad Street south. The building to the right of the shield assembly (http://www.southeastroads.com/alabama090/us-090_098t_wb_at_us-098_01.jpg) posted below was demolished. The triangular parcel between St. Anthony Street, Spring Hill Avenue and Broad Street was cleaned up and now hosts a small park with statues in the center.


(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-090_wb_at_us-098_wb.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-090_wb_at_us-098_wb.jpg)

I-10 interchange startup delayed in Baldwin County (http://blog.al.com/live/2009/12/i-10_interchange_startup_delay.html)

Quote
This time last year, authorities said they hoped that construction would start sometime in mid-2009 on a new $23 million Interstate 10 interchange, to be located between the Eastern Shore Centre and Bass Pro Shops in Spanish Fort.

---

The interchange project would finish a years-long process of extending Baldwin County 13 from U.S. 98 in the south part of the county to I-10.

South of the planned interchange, construction of a 3-mile, $8.6 million extension of Baldwin County 13 began last fall and is scheduled for completion in the summer, said Cal Markert, Baldwin County engineer.

---

A cost-sharing agreement signed in 2007 to build a $9 million service road at the I-10 interchange will expire if construction does not begin by Aug. 1, 2010.

Foley Beach Express tolls to rise starting tomorrow.

http://blog.al.com/live/2009/12/orange_beach_bridge_toll_incre.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2009/12/orange_beach_bridge_toll_incre.html)

Foreman Road in west Mobile to close for 3 months (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/01/foreman_road_in_west_mobile_to.html)

MOBILE, Ala. -- City officials will close Foreman Road between Dickens Ferry Road and Old Shell Road on Monday. The closure will last about 3 months to allow workers to complete a drainage project and widen the road.

Workers will mill the existing road surface to obtain the required cross slope, install all drainage pipe and structures, construct the water and sanitary sewer utilities, and construct base and pavement associated with widening Foreman Road. (ftp://ftp:///%3E%3Cbr%20/%3EWorkers%20will%20mill%20the%20existing%20road%20surface%20to%20obtain%20the%20required%20cross%20slope,%20install%20all%20drainage%20pipe%20and%20structures,%20construct%20the%20water%20and%20sanitary%20sewer%20utilities,%20and%20construct%20base%20and%20pavement%20associated%20with%20widening%20Foreman%20Road.)

I lived just off Foreman Road years ago. Its a useful connector between Old Shell Road and Airport Boulevard.

Mobile's 25-year road plan faces complaints at meeting (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/02/mobiles_25-year_road_plan_face.html)

QuoteBig-ticket projects on the plan include nearly $300 million for a new bridge or crossing of Mobile River, and more than $70 million to widen Snow Road to create a new bypass west of Schillinger Road.

But most of the comments at Tuesday's hearing, held at the GM&O Building downtown, had more to do with plans to build several dedicated bicycle trails throughout the city.

The MPO Long Range Plan map (http://www.mobilempo.org/Long_RAnge_Plan_brochure.pdf) does not show anything to me that will really benefit area traffic movements. A new Mobile River bridge for Interstate 10 and eight-laned Mobile Bayway? I'll believe it when I see it...

Associated story (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/02/mobiles_25-year_road_plan_open.html)

Quote
* $288.5 million for a new Mobile River crossing. Harrison said the long range plan just identifies a general corridor, not a specific route, so any of the three bridge routes being considered -- or even a tunnel or northern route -- would be allowable under the plan.
* $71.6 million to widen Snow Road from Jeff Hamilton Road to U.S. 98 to create a new bypass west of Schillinger Road.
* $35.5 million to widen Alabama Highway 193 from Hamilton Boulevard to just north of Fowl River.

Widening a road to five lanes without controlling the access at all is not creating a new bypass, its creating a new commercial arterial. Get it through your thick skulls planners!  :banghead: Widened roads = more lanes of travel in which to queue at new traffic lights...  :ded:

QuoteWidening a road to five lanes without controlling the access at all is not creating a new bypass, its creating a new commercial arterial. Get it through your thick skulls planners!

That has more to do with zoning and whatever passes for the county's planning commission than it does the highway department.

But, then again, Alabama has never been good at access management...

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with building bicycle trails.

Quote from: froggie on February 05, 2010, 08:03:34 AM

QuoteWidening a road to five lanes without controlling the access at all is not creating a new bypass, its creating a new commercial arterial. Get it through your thick skulls planners!

That has more to do with zoning and whatever passes for the county's planning commission than it does the highway department.

But, then again, Alabama has never been good at access management...

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with building bicycle trails.

I am all for them adding any bicycle provisions to Mobile. Currently there are absolutely none whatsoever, and accordingly, I never see anyone biking.

County commissioners have always failed to do anything when it comes to access management in these two counties, and their zoning policies through what I have seen is, anything goes. Widening of Alabama 181 is finally underway, and so many new subdivisions were built along the corridor in anticipation of it. Additionally Fairhope and Daphne annexed new swaths of land out toward the state highway to accommodate even more unmanaged sprawl. The net result is a useful two lane rural highway transitioned into a congested waiting-to-be four-laned arterial. Also because of the unmanaged growth, many of the previously unsignalized intersections now have full blown traffic lights.

One of the two gaps of CR-13 is close to being opened as well. Will the same be said for its role as a useful alternative to U.S. 98? Not so if the county commissioners and city governments continue to approve uncontrollable sprawl.

Alabama 158 is quite busy in its current form, and while there are large berms along the highway, access will not be controlled per ALDOT. We recently took a look at the U.S. 98 Wilmer bypass, and the pictures displayed on their website show more completed than is in the field. The two roads we took across the corridor are not even at grade level yet with the planned four lane highway, and there is only a gravel base on one of the future carriageways. Access will not be controlled here as well. While I am not expecting a flood of Walmarts and new subdivisions so far out, I do find it likely that a few gas stations, maybe a Dollar General, and other rural type businesses will add turning movements and the like to the four-lane thoroughfare.

This thread is deprecated. Please start new threads for each Mobile—Baldwin related topic you may wish to discuss.

I prefer to keep the Mobile-Baldwin thread as the catch all for all road related news, observations, photography, questions, and other items pertaining to the two southernmost counties in Alabama.

I forgot to post a few observations from a ride to Mobile County last weekend.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-070_wb_at_cr-005_nb.jpg)

For the first time ever, Mobile County 70 is acknowledged in signage. Shields are now posted at its confluence with Mobile County 5 at Tanner Williams. Shields are posted in all directions, and the implied overlap is even recognized.

Further north, Howells Ferry Road leading west from Mobile County 5 is signed with Mobile County 74 pentagons.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-005_nb_at_cr-074.jpg)

Also at CR 5 and 74 is an old F.A.S. sign tucked between some tree branches. Anyone have an idea of what these signs were used for? There are a few scattered about in rural Alabama.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-098_fut_at_cr-063.jpg)

Looking west from Mobile County 63 at the future U.S. 98 / Wilmer Bypass. A grade separated intersection is planned between the two highways, but as it stands now, CR-63 travels well above the grade for future U.S. 98.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-098_fut_at_walter_tanner_rd.jpg)

There is quite a drop from the grade of Walter Tanner Road to the future U.S. 98 as well. This view looks westward toward Mississippi from outside of Wilmer.

An aerial view (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=wilmer,+al&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.174768,92.724609&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Wilmer,+Mobile,+Alabama&ll=30.837283,-88.356171&spn=0.022404,0.061626&t=h&z=15) of the U.S. 98 swath north of Wilmer.

Further north the junction of Mobile County 63 and 86 is signed with pentagons. No shields are posted on CR 86 south at US 45 however.

FAS could stand for Federal Aid Secondary? Older county maps from at least the 1960s and before have FA(P) and FAS listed on roads.

In planning circles, FAS does stand for Federal Aid Secondary.  As I understand it, FHWA dropped the term with either ISTEA or TEA-21 (not sure which), though some local jurisdictions still may use it (I believe Mississippi still does).


Impressed to see Mobile County actually signing its county routes...

Any timetable for that US 98 Bypass?  I read something about it before, but the dates slip my mind.

Quote from: froggie on February 06, 2010, 11:54:53 AM
In planning circles, FAS does stand for Federal Aid Secondary.  As I understand it, FHWA dropped the term with either ISTEA or TEA-21 (not sure which), though some local jurisdictions still may use it (I believe Mississippi still does).

What would the "935 (1)" stand for?

That would be the FAS number for that particular road.

Quote from: njroadhorse on February 06, 2010, 12:47:18 PM
Any timetable for that US 98 Bypass?  I read something about it before, but the dates slip my mind.

The Safe 98 (http://www.safe98.com/) web site does not give a definitive answer

QuoteWhen is the entire highway to be completed?

The entire project has been divided into four parts. It is difficult to determine the completion date of the total project until all environmental and design issues have been fully identified and addressed. However, we can say that approximately 80 percent of the current project is completed as of February 2007.

I'd say its still 80% as of February 2010...

Their latest news section (http://www.safe98.com/news.php?id=112) does not give much of an idea for ultimate complete either.

Another item of note:  this current project is just for grading and bridges.  There will still be a paving/signing project to be let.

Which is something I've noticed with a few of the southern states....especially Mississippi.  They will do grading/bridges and paving as two separate projects/bids, instead of combining them into a single project/bid.

Quote from: froggie on February 09, 2010, 09:48:50 AM
Another item of note:  this current project is just for grading and bridges.  There will still be a paving/signing project to be let.

Which is something I've noticed with a few of the southern states....especially Mississippi.  They will do grading/bridges and paving as two separate projects/bids, instead of combining them into a single project/bid.

The photos they have on their website show exactly the same accomplishments of what we saw a week and a half ago. The grading aspect must be broken into separate contracts. Aforementioned, the two cross roads we took were significantly higher in elevation than the new four-lane road bed. Originally an interchange was planned at Mobile County 63, then that was downgraded to a grade separated interchange.

QuoteOriginally an interchange was planned at Mobile County 63, then that was downgraded to a grade separated interchange.

You do realize this sentence makes no sense...:o)  I'm assuming you meant a "grade separated intersection", or a "one-quadrant interchange".

Quote from: froggie on February 09, 2010, 01:42:39 PM

QuoteOriginally an interchange was planned at Mobile County 63, then that was downgraded to a grade separated interchange.

You do realize this sentence makes no sense...:o)  I'm assuming you meant a "grade separated intersection", or a "one-quadrant interchange".

Oops meant what they sometimes call a grade separated intersection, i.e. the one-quadrant interchange (I need to start using that term!).

Quote from: AARoads on February 09, 2010, 02:20:32 PM
Oops meant what they sometimes call a grade separated intersection, i.e. the one-quadrant interchange (I need to start using that term!).

what is a one-quadrant interchange?

Taken from this site: http://www.expresswaysite.com/missouri.htm

"*David Herman explains one-quadrant interchanges: Old Lemay Ferry and Old Route M are designed as "one quadrant interchanges" according to a definition of this interchange type from MODOT.  This configuration is sort of a cross between a full interchange and an at grade intersection; through movements are grade separated (by a very large height difference at Old Lemay Ferry) but there is a T intersection on both of the routes where the two way ramp ends.  There is a stop sign at each end of the two way ramp.  This style of interchange is similar to those seen on the Blue Ridge and Natchez Trace Parkways."

Also similar to FL 76 and FL 710 in Indiantown.

Quote from: florida on February 10, 2010, 03:14:54 AM
Taken from this site: http://www.expresswaysite.com/missouri.htm

"*David Herman explains one-quadrant interchanges: Old Lemay Ferry and Old Route M are designed as "one quadrant interchanges" according to a definition of this interchange type from MODOT.  This configuration is sort of a cross between a full interchange and an at grade intersection; through movements are grade separated (by a very large height difference at Old Lemay Ferry) but there is a T intersection on both of the routes where the two way ramp ends.  There is a stop sign at each end of the two way ramp.  This style of interchange is similar to those seen on the Blue Ridge and Natchez Trace Parkways."

Also similar to FL 76 and FL 710 in Indiantown.

In other words, a grade separation but with an uncontrolled-access road linking both routes (so no ramps).  California has a few examples of this, i.e. along Route 47 north of Route 1 heading north towards Compton, and along the Santa Clara County expressways.

Proposed $52 million evacuation route work ongoing (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/02/proposed_52_million_evacuation.html)

QuotePreliminary work on a $52 million, four-phase plan to connect the Foley baldwincountyseal.jpgBeach Express to Interstate 10 is moving faster than expected and the project costs will likely increase, County Engineer Cal Markert told Baldwin County commissioners at their work session Tuesday.

"We are still buying rights of way and finishing the plans," Markert said. He said construction could begin, likely on the southernmost section between the expressway and Baldwin County 32, in the summer.

The other three phases will be Baldwin 32 to U.S. 90, then northward to Baldwin County 64 and finally to the I-10 exchange at the Wilcox exit.

That is the first I have heard about it utilizing the Wilcox Road interchange. I may write the reporter to clarify on that...

QuoteRight-of-way purchases started last year along the largely rural route that follows Baldwin County 87. The entire corridor will be about 200 to 250 feet wide, county officials said, and will be built much like the existing expressway. The new four-lane road will provide a second north-south route paralleling Ala. 59 as an evacuation route and opening new areas of the county to economic development.

Oh yay, economic development along a corridor meant for evacuation purposes. That is smart!  :banghead:

Because the FBE is just going to be another non-freeway 4-lane that will probably be developed, I just can't get into this road.  :(

Quote from: TheStranger on February 10, 2010, 11:23:57 AM

Quote from: florida on February 10, 2010, 03:14:54 AM
Taken from this site: http://www.expresswaysite.com/missouri.htm

"*David Herman explains one-quadrant interchanges: Old Lemay Ferry and Old Route M are designed as "one quadrant interchanges" according to a definition of this interchange type from MODOT.  This configuration is sort of a cross between a full interchange and an at grade intersection; through movements are grade separated (by a very large height difference at Old Lemay Ferry) but there is a T intersection on both of the routes where the two way ramp ends.  There is a stop sign at each end of the two way ramp.  This style of interchange is similar to those seen on the Blue Ridge and Natchez Trace Parkways."

Also similar to FL 76 and FL 710 in Indiantown.

In other words, a grade separation but with an uncontrolled-access road linking both routes (so no ramps).  California has a few examples of this, i.e. along Route 47 north of Route 1 heading north towards Compton, and along the Santa Clara County expressways.

Yep. They work best in rural areas.

Federal stimulus to pay for energy saving efforts in southwest Alabama (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/02/federal_stimulus_to_pay_for_en.html)

Road related item:

QuoteFairhope, meanwhile, won $62,000 in federal stimulus money to purchase and install new LED traffic signals and caution lights.

The new, energy-efficient lights will save the city an estimated $12,000 per year in energy and maintenance costs, said Scott Sligh, electric department superintendent.

"LED lights last approximately 10 times longer. We'll make fewer trips to change them," Sligh said. The new lights also will reflect less sunlight than conventional signals, reducing glare problems in the mornings and evenings, he said.

Could spell the end of this classic one-piece four-way (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=fairhope,+al&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=42.174768,92.724609&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fairhope,+Baldwin,+Alabama&ll=30.519829,-87.902985&spn=0,359.969187&z=16&layer=c&cbll=30.519741,-87.902983&panoid=K_kc5GxEz4DDqCDHYHqTdg&cbp=12,18.16,,0,-1.58) at Murphy Avenue and Section Street...

There already is a four-lane route linking the two, and there is limited potential for new economic development, when many businesses along the old route are shuttered. Why not instead make a high-speed freeway? Oh yeah, I must remember the era for those is now over...

Highway linking I-10, I-65 will follow Baldwin County officials' preferred route (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/03/highway_linking_i-10_i-65_will.html)

QuoteMarch 22, 2010, 7:01AM
I-10 I-65 connector.JPGView full sizeBAY MINETTE, Ala. -- A proposed hurricane evacuation highway linking Interstates 10 and 65 appears likely to follow the route preferred by Baldwin County officials. The state has halted work on a competing concept for the $150 million, four-lane corridor.

"It seems like Baldwin County is moving on with their project," said Vincent Calametti, division engineer for the state transportation agency. "The state decided the department will step back and our route will stay on hold."

County officials voted at a recent meeting to enter the next phase of a traffic study on their route to see if a toll road would be feasible.

"We have requested $150 million from Congress," said County Commissioner Frank Burt. "That is still in the works, but we voted to go ahead with the toll road study as a backup means of funding it."

Burt said that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers favored the county's route, which would roughly parallel Alabama 59. County officials said it would be cheaper to build than the state route, more useful to the public and less damaging to the environment.

Dubbed the "Foley Beach Express II" in county agenda items, the route would link to the existing toll bridge that runs to Orange Beach, making it another highway for tourist traffic and lucrative economic development.

Baldwin officials also favor their route because it would connect a progressing industrial mega-site to both I-10 and I-65. Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corp. is trying to raise almost $1.5 billion in startup money for a planned hybrid auto factory there that could mean 5,800 jobs.

The state's route would be further to the east. Starting at Baldwin County 87 and I-10, it would skirt the new Perdido Wildlife Management Area and run alongside the headwaters of the Perdido River to I-65.

Environmentalists said that the state route, crossing 28 creeks, would endanger the sensitive area and limit plans to expand the protected wilderness. The county route, by contract, crosses 10 creeks.

A permit application with the corps details the county route. About 104.9 acres of wetlands would be filled in the 24.5 miles of roadway construction, the application states.

The county would purchase wetland mitigation credits from the corps to replace the wetlands disturbed.

Quote from: AARoads on March 22, 2010, 10:22:20 AM
There already is a four-lane route linking the two, and there is limited potential for new economic development, when many businesses along the old route are shuttered. Why not instead make a high-speed freeway? Oh yeah, I must remember the era for those is now over...

Sounds like it could be a toll road. If it's a toll road, at least maybe it would be built as limited-access. I hope it is built as limited-access. Another five-lane boulevard isn't needed.

Quote from: codyg1985 on March 22, 2010, 01:31:08 PM

Quote from: AARoads on March 22, 2010, 10:22:20 AM
There already is a four-lane route linking the two, and there is limited potential for new economic development, when many businesses along the old route are shuttered. Why not instead make a high-speed freeway? Oh yeah, I must remember the era for those is now over...

Sounds like it could be a toll road. If it's a toll road, at least maybe it would be built as limited-access. I hope it is built as limited-access. Another five-lane boulevard isn't needed.

Being dubbed the Foley Beach Express II, I envision MOTS, a four-lane divided highway with at-grade intersections and a lack of strict enough rules dealing with the limitation of driveways. The state highway concept was to use the CR-87 corridor heading north, then a path close to CR-61 from CR-112 to US 31 and I-65.

I would not put it past the county to advocate it as a public-private partnership in a tolled arterial concept either...

Mobile hopes to save money with LED traffic signals (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/03/mobile_hopes_to_save_money_wit.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Ala. -- Mobile is overhauling its traffic signals to take advantage of the latest in lighting technology, a move officials say will save the city money in the long run.

A $760,000 federal stimulus grant focusing on energy savings will pay for the project.

The new lights, which are made of Light Emitting Diodes, LEDs, will last longer than their incandescent predecessors and use a fraction of the energy. Bill Metzger, the city's traffic engineer, estimates that the LEDs will save about $82,000 in energy costs each year.

The LEDs have a working life of 10-12 years, about four times that of an incandescent bulb.

"We were spending a lot of time just going out to replace those old lights," Metzger said.

The savings on time and bulbs will net the city an additional $37,000 annually, he said.

He said that by the end of the year, lights at 266 of the city's 320 signalized intersections will have been replaced.

The city will retain the incandescent traffic lights in and around the downtown area because they are new, Metzger said. But when those lights fail, they will be replaced with LEDs, he said.

In addition to the traffic signals, the city is also using the stimulus money to replace all of its 500 pedestrian signals, which are antiquated according to the latest standards.

Most of the older signals operate on the following three-stage process:

   * A white walking figure shows for a few seconds to signal the pedestrian to begin walking.
   * An orange hand begins flashing to signal the pedestrian to clear through the intersection.
   * The hand goes solid, signaling that it is no longer safe to be in the intersection.

The new lights will use the same three stages with one new feature: Next to the flashing hand, a countdown will show how long the pedestrian has to cross safely.

Forum planned on proposed corridor linking I-10 and I-65 with south Baldwin County  (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/03/forum_planned_on_proposed_corr.html)

QuoteMarch 29, 2010, 9:07AM

BALDWIN REPORT.jpgROBERTSDALE, Ala. -- Now that a proposed hurricane evacuation highway linking interstates 10 and 65 seems likely to follow the route preferred by Baldwin County officials, a group of county business leaders wants to know why the route is favored.

Leadership Baldwin County, a program that unites people from throughout the county and encourages civic involvement, will hold a forum about the highway at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Robertsdale City Hall.

"Businesses and individuals will be affected by the placement of this road," said Scott Shamburger, a Baldwin County builder who serves on the infrastructure group of Leadership Baldwin County's class of 2010.

The state planned a different route for the corridor that would lie close to the Florida line, but transportation officials said last week they would hold off on that proposal while the county researches its preferred path for the highway.

"We believe it is important to provide factual information about both proposed routes and provide an appropriate forum for questions," he said.

Among the forum's expected speakers are Robertsdale Mayor Charles Murphy and County Commission Chairman Charles "Skip" Gruber, he said.

"The leadership group wants to know why we chose the route we did and why we think it's the best route," Gruber said. "I look forward to that discussion."

Alabama Department of Transportation officials last week said that, in light of the county's pursuit of its own route, they had halted work on plans for their version of the $150 million, four-lane corridor that would follow a route close to the Florida line.

Late last year, environmental groups as well as county and municipal leaders expressed bewilderment over the state's plans to build a road over the wetlands of the Perdido River basin rather than constructing it on the high ground in the county's middle.

County officials back a route that would roughly parallel Ala. 59. The route would link to the existing Beach Express toll bridge that runs to Orange Beach, making it another highway for tourist traffic, economic development and hurricane evacuation.

County officials have requested $150 million from Congress to fund the project.

Other expected speakers at Tuesday's forum include Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency Director Leigh Anne Ryals, Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance President Robert Ingram and GUMBO political action committee President Anthony Kaiser.

Representatives from the state transportation department and the Baldwin County engineer's office are also expected to attend, organizers said.

County officials voted at a recent meeting to enter the next phase of a traffic study on their route to see if a toll road would be feasible.

"We're working on an environmental study and we've applied for a wetlands permit," said Cal Markert, Baldwin County engineer. "We're doing preliminary work and gathering facts."

Markert said that, even though the county's route would fill 104.9 acres of wetlands, it seems to be far more environmentally friendly than the state's route.

The state route would start at Baldwin County 87 and I-10, then cross 28 creeks along the headwaters of the Perdido River and a new Perdido Wildlife Management Area. The county route would cross just 10 creeks.

The county route would also connect to the industrial mega-site where Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corp. plans to locate, should the company raise its needed $1.5 billion in startup money, Markert said.

Another bland five-lane arterial. Hello new traffic lights!

U.S. 31 widening project to include city improvements in Spanish Fort (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/us_31_widening_project_to_incl.html)

QuoteSPANISH FORT -- When a state project to widen a portion of U.S. 31 gets under way later this year, sidewalks and closed drainage will be included in the work, thanks to a measure passed this week by the City Council.

The council adopted a resolution in its regular meeting Monday that allows the mayor to enter into an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation.

The city will pay the highway department $800,000 for the improvements.

"The city has been setting aside money for this project for a number of years in anticipation of this highway 31 corridor widening project, and this outlines the terms and conditions upon which those additional improvements will be constructed with city money," said City Attorney David Conner.

The transportation department received nearly $15 million in federal funding to widen the highway to five lanes from the intersection of U.S. 90 and U.S. 31 to Ala. 181, according to city officials.

Once completed, the city will be responsible for maintaining those portions that don't fall under the state highway maintenance system, according to the construction agreement.

"It's one of those ready projects that's on the shelf that the federal government wants to move forward on and we're ready for them to move forward on it," Mayor Joe Bonner said.

"I'm just so excited that they're bidding it out, and I hope that it's completed with speed," he said.

The state has already acquired the needed rights of way for the project, which is estimated to cost about $17 million, according to Linda Crockett, a spokeswoman with the state highway department.

Bidding is scheduled to begin July 30. Construction on the 3.4 mile-stretch is expected to start Sept. 30 and is projected to take 18 months, Crockett said.

Go residents! Please defeat this worthless service road. Last thing that corridor needs is another eye-sore commercial strip visible from Interstate 10...

TimberCreek residents protest $9 million 'Road to Nowhere' (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/timbercreek_residents_protest.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Ala. -- Several Daphne area residents want Baldwin County commissioners to drop plans for what some are calling a $9 million "Road to Nowhere" that only benefits a few commercial developers.

Some 700 residents of the TimberCreek subdivision could be negatively impacted, according to protesters, by the planned service road, between U.S. 98 and Ala. 181, that would link the Bass Pro Shops-anchored Spanish Fort Town Center with the proposed Interstate 10 interchange at Baldwin County 13.

Protesters contacted county commissioners regarding the issue in advance of commission's work session Tuesday.

County Administrator Michael Thompson said the group made their case, and commissioners will hear the issue at their regular meeting next week.

County Engineer Cal Markert said officials listened to the group, and commissioners could decide to stop the project, but that is not likely.

"We believe this is the best thing for the county as a whole," Markert said.

Commissioner Ed Bishop said the county engineer is asking for permission to authorize bids, with the decision to let bids coming later. He said businesses could be developed regardless along the existing Woodrow Lane on the route, and the county has already entered agreements with several parties regarding the service road project.

TimberCreek resident and local attorney Tom O'Hara said the estimated $9 million project gained support from residents last year when developers said Mobile Infirmary planned to build a hospital on property along the route. Since then, according to officials, those plans have changed.

"There is a well-oiled political machine behind the project," O'Hara, said. "And with three existing east-west corridors, why do we need it? It will intrude on TimberCreek subdivision, and on environmentally sensitive areas all for the benefit of a few developers."

In 2007, the commission committed $4 million to the project. TimberCreek Land Co. and the development firm Cypress Equities each agreed to contribute $2 million. The city of Daphne agreed to contribute $1 million.

Daphne Council President Gus Palumbo submitted a letter to commissioners protesting the project. In a telephone interview on Tuesday, he said the road "won't do anything for Daphne and the money could be better spent elsewhere. Palumbo said the route would parallel U.S. 31, I-10, and U.S. 90, which are all major east-west roadways in the area.

Quote from: AARoads on April 14, 2010, 11:10:35 AM
Go residents! Please defeat this worthless service road. Last thing that corridor needs is another eye-sore commercial strip visible from Interstate 10...

Well here is the answer:

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/baldwin_county_abandons_8_mill.html

And a follow up to the story on the Baldwin I-10 Service Road post from yesterday:

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/i-10_service_road_in_timbercre.html

I am happy to see that the commissioners there actually listened to the residents as opposed to the commercial land developers for once...

Commissioners call for meetings on Interstate 10 service road agreements (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/commissioners_call_for_meeting.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE -- Baldwin County commissioners Tuesday called for meetings with entities involved in agreements left dangling when a vote last week killed a planned $8 million service road near the TimberCreek subdivision.

"In ceasing to work on the service road," said Commissioner Wayne Gruenloh, "I'm concerned about the position we put those entities in."

Gruenloh called for a meeting between highway committee members, the county engineer and representatives from Spanish Fort, Cypress Equities and TimberCreek Land Co.

But Commissioner Frank Burt chided fellow commissioners for killing the project "without considering all those involved just so 150 folks and some lawyers could get their way." Burt's was the lone vote against ending the project.

QuoteToday, Burt said he should be the one to meet with the parties involved as finance committee chairman, along with County Attorney Scott Barnett. He said the county engineer couldn't address legal issues in the agreements. He also called for the meetings to be public, and asked repeatedly if his fellow commissioners were "trying to bring the project back to life."

Burt said officials at the Alabama Department of Transportation were "highly upset" about the situation, as were some local officials.

"The commission made a mistake," Burt said, "a grave mistake" in abandoning the project.

Gruenloh and Commissioner Ed Bishop both denied trying to revive the project, though Bishop did say people on the west end of the proposed road might still want the development in their area. Both said they were interested in taking care of the agreements left in place.

Cry me a river, sing me a song...

Quote from: AARoads on December 18, 2009, 05:39:12 PM

While poking around Streetview last week, I happened across a set of signals in Prichard I was unaware of. The five-way intersection with old Bay Bridge Road, Grover Avenue, and Willjohn Street lies just north of U.S. 90 & 98 Truck (new Bay Bridge Road) but handles only local traffic and trucks from an adjacent business. I drove through it yesterday and what is left of the traffic lights flash red for Grove Avenue and Willjohn Street and yellow for Bay Bridge Road:


(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/grover_av_sb_at_bay_bridge_rd.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/grover_av_sb_at_bay_bridge_rd.jpg)

Unbelievably so, these signals were fixed/replaced and reactivated! For a city with no money, I think priority should have been given to their water system situation vs. working on signals for a five-point intersection where one of the roads (Old Bay Bridge Road) dead ends in one direction...  :no:

Baldwin County 13 extension to open Wednesday:

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/baldwin_county_13_to_open_wedn.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/baldwin_county_13_to_open_wedn.html)

Long-awaited road opens between Fairhope and Daphne (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/long-awaited_road_opens_betwee.html)

QuoteDAPHNE, Ala. -- Baldwin County commissioners and others spoke Friday to a crowd of more than 30 gathered for the ribbon-cutting of a 3-mile extension of Baldwin County 13.

Construction on the project began 19 months ago. The road fills what had been a gap in Baldwin County 13 between Ala. 104 in Fairhope and Baldwin County 64 in Daphne.

"This is an example of what the commission can do to meet transportation needs and still save the environment," said Commissioner David Ed Bishop. "I'm as happy as anybody can be today. I feel like a bird out of a cage."

The Baldwin County 13 project, just east of Daphne and Fairhope, is designed to take traffic pressure off the county's two other major north-south routes, Ala. 181 and U.S. 98.

The road's construction rolled into controversy in September 2007, when Auburn University -- which owned much of the land and placed strong restrictions on construction there -- nixed the county's plan to fill 3.6 acres of wetlands and pave over it. The property is occupied by Auburn University's Gulf Coast Research Center.

County and university officials developed a new, more ecologically sensitive plan. The project's planned bridge span more than tripled in size -- from 120 feet, then 154, then 540 feet, and finally 720 feet, county officials said.

"We are all happy today," said Auburn attorney Jon G. Waggoner, who attended Friday's event. "This is a model of environmental sustainability, and it also shows the practical side of Auburn."

Delay the thing forever IMO, its a dumb road without controlling access...  X-(

Baldwin Beach Express delayed six years? (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/baldwin_beach_express_delayed.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE -- Baldwin County officials were hoping to get the Baldwin Beach Express link to Interstate 10 done this year, but the latest state report shows one segment not set for contract letting until 2016.

"I was notified by the Alabama Department of Transportation on Friday the project had been put off," said Cal Markert, county engineer.

County workers have already completed work on one phase of the highway that will eventually connect I-10 with a toll bridge at Orange Beach. Phase II includes the stretch from U.S. 90 to Baldwin County 64 set for bid letting in June. Phase III runs from Baldwin 32 to U.S. 90 and until late last week, had been set for letting this summer. The final section from Baldwin 64 to I-10 is a state project.

Markert said state highway officials told him the county might be asked for $4 million of county money allocated for the project before letting the contract rather than billing as the project is under way.

Commissioner Frank Burt said the main cause of the delay was $25 million taken from the state highway department by the Legislature and allocated to state courts to process tickets more rapidly.

"The 2016 date is totally unacceptable to me," Gruenloh said.

Burt suggested the date change could be a move in retaliation for the county's vote to end work on a service road along TimberCreek subdivision north of I-10 that would have connected with an interchange the state is building at Baldwin County 13.

"We didn't take the interchange off," Gruenloh said. "They are continuing their project."

In another highway matter, two TimberCreek residents at the work session questioned Markert about permits for the service road issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that remained in place even though the roadwork was canceled.

Markert said state highway officials had requested that the permits stay in place so wetlands mitigation included along the route could be used to offset wetlands impacts at the interchange. He also said he left the permit intact for the entire three miles of service road "so if you all go back and change your mind and go ahead with the project, I wouldn't have to go back with the permit process and start all over."

Officials said the permits had already been paid for, and would be good for 5 years.

As for the state change to the contract date for the express highway, Markert said the date listed "may not mean anything" and could change in next month's state report. He said to be sure, however, commissioners should push for a contract letting in July or August this year.

Deal reached in Highway 98 suit; Settlement includes long list of environmental restrictions (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/deal_reached_in_highway_98_sui.html)

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010_wb_exit_044_10.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010_wb_exit_044_10.jpg)

The last button copy sign along Interstate 10 in Alabama bit the dust within the last two weeks. Its replacement, done in Clearview, caught me off guard so no photo yet...

You mean ALDOT maintains that sparsely populated road?  haha

Forgot to mention that the signal less stretch along U.S. 90 & 98 (Battleship Parkway) is about to get shorter.  :banghead:  :ded:

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-090_098_eb_at_addsco_rd.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-090_098_eb_at_addsco_rd.jpg)

New mast arm assemblies at Addsco Road.

Quote from: lamsalfl on May 27, 2010, 11:52:44 PM
You mean ALDOT maintains that sparsely populated road?  haha

Speaking of traffic counts, here are the 2008 tallies for Baldwin County's stretch of I-10:

Exit 27 to 30 - 61,210
Exit 30 to 35 - 60,790
Exit 35 to 38 - 49,180
Exit 38 to 44 - 42,290
Exit 44 to 53 - 27,440
Exit 53 to FL line -26,920
The lowest count in Mobile County is 43,380 between the state line and Exit 4.

And traffic counts in 2000:
Exit 27 to 30 - 56,940
Exit 30 to 35 - 56,080
Exit 35 to 38 - 38,180
Exit 38 to 44 - 33,740
Exit 44 to 53 - 25,700
Exit 53 to FL line -24,920
The lowest count in Mobile County was 38,150 between the state line and Exit 4.

So is there generally a rule of thumb traffic count to warrant a 6 lane?  What about 8 lane?  You have to consider future travel needs as well as the numbers will probably not plateau.

Now that I see these I want to get MDOT's I-10 numbers off their website, and see where exactly should the next phase of 6 laning be.  (I've heard MDOT's headed east with hopes of getting to Exit 57.)

QuoteSo is there generally a rule of thumb traffic count to warrant a 6 lane?

Typically in the 60-80K range.  Details depend on numerous variables, including truck percentage, exit spacing, peak hour percentage, and whatnot.

Quote from: AARoads on May 27, 2010, 11:55:55 PM

New mast arm assemblies at Addsco Road.

gah, what's worse than a working traffic signal?  a non-working traffic signal.  I hate the Hell out of those covered-up signals, because I'm always approaching them with undue caution, wondering just what angle I have to see the finely polarized light to tell me that, yep, it's red.

or wondering if this is a state in which a nonfunctioning signal is a four-way stop, or if it's a freeforall.  

those covered up signals need to be accompanied by an advance sign that says "SIGNALS NOT YET IN SERVICE.  DRIVE AS THOUGH YOU DID NOT OBSERVE THEM."

just ask Brent about the one time we came up to the one non-working traffic signal in some small Alabama town, and coming up to the other branch was a cop.  What the Hell were we supposed to do?  Assume his branch did not work either, and keep going?  Assume his branch did not work either, and come to a stop, because Alabama may or may not be a four-way stop state?  Assume he had red?  That he had green?  That ... argh!  People, maintain your damn traffic signals.  I don't care if it's a brilliant 1930s example of Art Deco construction ... either have it work correctly, or take it down and give it to Alex.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 28, 2010, 10:10:53 AM
gah, what's worse than a working traffic signal?  a non-working traffic signal.  I hate the Hell out of those covered-up signals, because I'm always approaching them with undue caution, wondering just what angle I have to see the finely polarized light to tell me that, yep, it's red.

When I was driving in Oshtemo Township a couple weeks ago, I didn't really have any trouble noticing a new signal was in the process of being installed with its faces turned away (no covers). I just proceeded through the intersection as I would have had before the signal was hung (having right-of-way over the cross-street, which serves a condo complex). I've done just fine making note of new signals not yet in operation, so any signage which would state that fact would be rather redundant.

Quote from: rawmustard on May 28, 2010, 11:22:38 AM
When I was driving in Oshtemo Township a couple weeks ago, I didn't really have any trouble noticing a new signal was in the process of being installed with its faces turned away (no covers). I just proceeded through the intersection as I would have had before the signal was hung (having right-of-way over the cross-street, which serves a condo complex). I've done just fine making note of new signals not yet in operation, so any signage which would state that fact would be rather redundant.

I've seen so many varieties of traffic signal (yellow housing, green housing, black housing, etc) that if I see one with a bag over it, I assume it's all-black housing.

a lot of the time they are not turned to the side - they simply have garbage bags taped over the housing - so it is only when you are very close to them do you realize that they are intentionally non-operational.  Due to the much lower contrast of garbage bags and tape against the background, as opposed to active illumination, this point is well past the decision for whether or not you should be slowing down or maintaining speed.

the worst is when garbage bags are taped only over the lenses.  Even lower contrast.  Congratulations, you saved your municipality twelve one-hundredths of a cent by using 29 fewer square inches of garbage bag.

Quote from: AARoads on May 27, 2010, 08:00:20 PM
(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010_wb_exit_044_10.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010_wb_exit_044_10.jpg)

The last button copy sign along Interstate 10 in Alabama bit the dust within the last two weeks. Its replacement, done in Clearview, caught me off guard so no photo yet...

I told you it would be replaced one day. I just knew it would...

Quote from: flaroadgeek on May 28, 2010, 04:50:20 PM

Quote from: AARoads on May 27, 2010, 08:00:20 PM
(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010_wb_exit_044_10.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010_wb_exit_044_10.jpg)

The last button copy sign along Interstate 10 in Alabama bit the dust within the last two weeks. Its replacement, done in Clearview, caught me off guard so no photo yet...

I told you it would be replaced one day. I just knew it would...

It looks like the end of an era in terms of button copy on I-10. :-(

At least it will live on in all the photographs we have of it. The only item I believe that is still button copy on Interstate 10 in that general area is actually near Pensacola at the 9th Street overpass (heading eastbound). Other than that the remaining button copy sign is near Interstate 10 in Mobile, and I await the day when that will be replaced as well...

County pushing ahead with Baldwin 83 four-laning (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/07/county_pushing_ahead_with_bald.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Alabama -- A Mobile construction firm should start work in coming weeks on the next phase of four-laning Baldwin County 83 from U.S. 90 to Baldwin 64 with a low bid of $14 million on the work, officials said Monday.

Work on the massive project that officials hope will one day link Orange Beach to Interstate 65 should enter the next phase in coming weeks as Hosea Weaver & Sons starts work to widen a section of the route south of Interstate

Officials said the Baldwin Beach Express that will follow Baldwin 83 and 21 miles yet to be constructed north of I-10 could become a major hurricane evacuation route from the county's beaches.

County Engineer Cal Markert told commissioners last week that estimates for the section had come in at $19 million, but bids were $5 million lower than expected. The county will pay $2.7 million from bond money with federal funding covering the rest.

When the state and county offered different road plans last fall and earlier this year, Baldwin officials prevailed, moving forward on the project they contend was the best route to connect with I-65 years from now.

Studies are ongoing regarding a proposed link from I-10 north to I-65 east of Bay Minette. The road, which might be funded through a toll, would pass by the 3,000-acre megasite selected by Hybrid Kinetic Motors as the location for a new plant that would make natural gas-powered hybrid cars.

State highway officials had planned a route farther to the east that would have impacted protected wildlife areas, environmentalists said. State officials shelved their plan earlier this year. Baldwin pressed ahead, completing a section of highway from the Foley Beach Express to Baldwin 32. County officials sent notice to the Alabama Department of Transportation last week regarding the contract award on the latest phase from U.S. 90 to Baldwin 64.

Markert said work should start on that section in about 45 days. The longest and most expensive section south of I-10 should be let for bid in September, he said, with the part from Baldwin 32 to U.S. 90 estimated to cost $54 million.

Markert said the county is about $20 million short on funding for that project but the actual cost should be less than the initial estimates.

Quote from: flaroadgeek on May 29, 2010, 03:59:31 PM
At least it will live on in all the photographs we have of it. The only item I believe that is still button copy on Interstate 10 in that general area is actually near Pensacola at the 9th Street overpass (heading eastbound). Other than that the remaining button copy sign is near Interstate 10 in Mobile, and I await the day when that will be replaced as well...

There was a westbound distance sign on I-10, I think still in Florida, west of Pensacola.  Need to keep my updates moving...

you mean all those overheads, on the slotted signs, in Mobile are gone?

Quote from: AlpsROADS on July 29, 2010, 08:54:21 PM

Quote from: flaroadgeek on May 29, 2010, 03:59:31 PM
At least it will live on in all the photographs we have of it. The only item I believe that is still button copy on Interstate 10 in that general area is actually near Pensacola at the 9th Street overpass (heading eastbound). Other than that the remaining button copy sign is near Interstate 10 in Mobile, and I await the day when that will be replaced as well...

There was a westbound distance sign on I-10, I think still in Florida, west of Pensacola.  Need to keep my updates moving...

They added a mileage sign after the weigh stations between the state line and Exit 5 in the early 2000s. So you read one sign "Wilcox Road - 17" then after the weigh station "Wilcox Road - 15".

Quoteyou mean all those overheads, on the slotted signs, in Mobile are gone?

They are all still in place, have not seen one of those replaced ever. The letters however are not button copy, just reflective white.

Quote from: AARoads on July 29, 2010, 09:56:48 PM

They are all still in place, have not seen one of those replaced ever. The letters however are not button copy, just reflective white.

oh, I must be mixing them up with a different set.  With button-copy AL-163 shields, no less.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 29, 2010, 10:05:53 PM

Quote from: AARoads on July 29, 2010, 09:56:48 PM

They are all still in place, have not seen one of those replaced ever. The letters however are not button copy, just reflective white.

oh, I must be mixing them up with a different set.  With button-copy AL-163 shields, no less.

You are thinking of that Summa photo (//www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=AL19700101&search=163&view=3). Only one button copy shield left on a guide sign, the I-10 on US 90/98. There's still a button copy guide sign on Canal Street as well.

Quote from: AARoads on July 29, 2010, 10:09:44 PM

You are thinking of that Summa photo (//www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=AL19700101&search=163&view=3). Only one button copy shield left on a guide sign, the I-10 on US 90/98. There's still a button copy guide sign on Canal Street as well.

I could've sworn that was around until relatively recently.  When did it vanish?

Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 29, 2010, 11:21:21 PM

Quote from: AARoads on July 29, 2010, 10:09:44 PM

You are thinking of that Summa photo (//www.aaroads.com/shields/show.php?image=AL19700101&search=163&view=3). Only one button copy shield left on a guide sign, the I-10 on US 90/98. There's still a button copy guide sign on Canal Street as well.

I could've sworn that was around until relatively recently.  When did it vanish?

Button copy was mostly the norm along Interstate 10 through south Alabama in 1993 but by 1996 much of it was gone, though several overheads retained it. However by 1998, all but a couple of mileage signs were fully reflectorized.

Cannot say when Interstate 65 button copy signs were replaced, but they were certainly out of there by 1996.

I attended the I-10 Mobile River Bridge meeting on December 9, 2003, and this meeting appears to be about the same in concept, except that instead of eight-laning the Bayway as they wanted to do in 2003, now its only a six-laning. There is too much opposition from the ship building industry to locals in and around downtown for anything to happen.

Back in 2003 they were talking about a possible completion of a new span by 2012! Can we suggest 2022 now?  :banghead:

ALDOT to hold meetings on controversial I-10 bridge proposal (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/08/aldot_to_hold_meetings_on_i-10.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama -- State highway officials, seeking input on a proposed bridge over the Mobile River, will hold a pair of community meetings in the coming weeks, part of an impact study that will help determine the bridge's location.
Engineers with the Alabama Department of Transportation say the bridge is necessary to address frequent congestion on Interstate 10 through the Wallace Tunnel and onto the Bayway, congestion they say will only increase with time.
In addition to the bridge's construction, the project would add 2 lanes to the Bayway, one in each direction, bringing the total to 6.
The maritime industry on the river has generally opposed the bridge, saying it would limit traffic on the waterway and cost them millions of dollars in lost business.
The first meeting will take place Aug. 31, from 5-7 p.m.,  at the Texas Street Community Center, 540 Texas St.The second meeting will take place Sept. 2, from 5-7 p.m., at the Daphne Bayfront Park Pavilion, 6200 Bayfront Park Drive.

Mayor Sam Jones has said he supports option a bridge route that runs from a point south of the Alabama Cruise Terminal, over the Harrison Brothers Dry Dock and Repair Yard, and north of the Austal shipbuilding expansion.

The route is a few hundred yards south of the Wallace Tunnel on I-10.

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama -- State highway officials, seeking input on a proposed bridge over the Mobile River, will hold a pair of community meetings in the coming weeks, part of an impact study that will help determine the bridge's location.
Engineers with the Alabama Department of Transportation say the bridge is necessary to address frequent congestion on Interstate 10 through the Wallace Tunnel and onto the Bayway, congestion they say will only increase with time.
In addition to the bridge's construction, the project would add 2 lanes to the Bayway, one in each direction, bringing the total to 6.
The maritime industry on the river has generally opposed the bridge, saying it would limit traffic on the waterway and cost them millions of dollars in lost business.
The first meeting will take place Aug. 31, from 5-7 p.m.,  at the Texas Street Community Center, 540 Texas St.The second meeting will take place Sept. 2, from 5-7 p.m., at the Daphne Bayfront Park Pavilion, 6200 Bayfront Park Drive.

Mayor Sam Jones has said he supports option a bridge route that runs from a point south of the Alabama Cruise Terminal, over the Harrison Brothers Dry Dock and Repair Yard, and north of the Austal shipbuilding expansion.

The route is a few hundred yards south of the Wallace Tunnel on I-10.

So... why not build one more tunnel tube?  It can be reversible for rush hour traffic, provide six lanes during daytime travel periods, and gives flexibility to do tunnel maintenance at night.  See the Lincoln Tunnel.

Based on the ongoing I-64 HRBT study in Norfolk, VA, FHWA has concerns about 2-way running in tunnels and the operational issues with them.

Another thing with extra tunnel tubes here:  unless you put them in the same general location as the proposed bridge, you will be perpetuating the tight 40 MPH curve on the eastbound tunnel approach.  Improving that in the same area as the existing tunnel would require a fair bit more right-of-way (possibly more than the new bridge requires).  But moreso, any new tunnel near the existing tunnel would require ripping up the existing Water St interchange...something the bridge does not require.

Quote from: froggie on August 04, 2010, 07:50:24 AM
But moreso, any new tunnel near the existing tunnel would require ripping up the existing Water St interchange...something the bridge does not require.

I disagree - it would easily fit through the middle of the interchange (just alter the alignment of the WB lanes a bit and remove Church St., and fit the middle lanes into the existing WB tube).  The question would be access to/from the middle lanes, which I propose would be a single reversible ramp between the tunnel and the middle of Water St.  If the outer tubes are both running, you don't need the ramp open at all.  If the center tube is running all WB traffic, you'd have a left-hand off ramp to Water.  If it's running all EB, you'd have a right-hand merge from Water.  Either way, Water St. stays fully open and the existing interchange just adds a single ramp.

Quote from: AlpsROADS on August 04, 2010, 06:52:59 PM

Quote from: froggie on August 04, 2010, 07:50:24 AM
But moreso, any new tunnel near the existing tunnel would require ripping up the existing Water St interchange...something the bridge does not require.

I disagree - it would easily fit through the middle of the interchange (just alter the alignment of the WB lanes a bit and remove Church St., and fit the middle lanes into the existing WB tube).  The question would be access to/from the middle lanes, which I propose would be a single reversible ramp between the tunnel and the middle of Water St.  If the outer tubes are both running, you don't need the ramp open at all.  If the center tube is running all WB traffic, you'd have a left-hand off ramp to Water.  If it's running all EB, you'd have a right-hand merge from Water.  Either way, Water St. stays fully open and the existing interchange just adds a single ramp.

Well for what its worth, there have been talks about tearing the Water Street interchange down either partially or fully.

I live in the Mobile area and love the idea of a second tunnel. I don't know why they haven't discussed a tunnel. The only reason I can think of that they haven't discussed it is because it prevents large trucks from driving through it, but they already have a truck route on Bay Bridge Road. I guess it is too much for trucks to take that path.

Quote from: roadwarrior on August 08, 2010, 03:15:12 AM
I live in the Mobile area and love the idea of a second tunnel. I don't know why they haven't discussed a tunnel. The only reason I can think of that they haven't discussed it is because it prevents large trucks from driving through it, but they already have a truck route on Bay Bridge Road. I guess it is too much for trucks to take that path.

The major prohibitive factor is cost. Not only do you have the cost of the tubes, but constructing another approach, because widening the existing one is impractical due to Fort Conde above. FWIW, the adjacent ship builders (Bender, etc.) prefer a tunnel over having a bridge levying a potential height restriction on craft that they can work on.

The last '57 spec Interstate 10 Alabama shield bit the dust this summer. From what I could discern, it may have happened on June 25. Anyway, this:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southeastroads.com%2Falabama060%2Fcr-064_eb_app_i-010.jpg&hash=d9c0b507d1f834cc18577325962251ac225ddec7) (http://www.southeastroads.com/alabama060/cr-064_eb_app_i-010.jpg)

was replaced with:

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-064_eb_app_i-010.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-064_eb_app_i-010.jpg)

Photo taken this afternoon (08/09/10).

You know what's gonna happen next...

they'll take down that 59?

At least its replacement is state named. It could have been replaced with a neutered I-10 shield.

Quote from: AARoads on August 09, 2010, 05:50:56 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.southeastroads.com%2Falabama060%2Fcr-064_eb_app_i-010.jpg&hash=d9c0b507d1f834cc18577325962251ac225ddec7) (http://www.southeastroads.com/alabama060/cr-064_eb_app_i-010.jpg)

That is one OLD sign! :wow:

How old is it anyway?

Quote from: The Premier on August 09, 2010, 08:11:58 PM


How old is it anyway?

not quite ridiculously old as simply made of shitty materials.  Alabama was using that standard as late as 1972, and that sounds about right.

And in other changes, the set of flashers at Wulff and Snow Roads was upgraded (I knew it was only a matter of time...) to a fully signalized intersection. It also appears that the Grelot Road extension is close to being opened between Leroy Stevens Road and Airport Boulevard. The terminal road to Mobile Regional Airport will tie directly into the Grelot Road extension. Traffic signal changes are already nearing completion.

Which basically makes Grelot an alternative route for getting to the airport.  Except that Grelot doesn't get anywhere near as far as I-65.  It'd be nice if there was a way to more directly tie McDonald Rd into Dawes Rd.

Hurricane damage to I-10 bridges during Ivan and Katrina prompts officials to consider Bayway reinforcements (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/08/hurricane_damage_to_i-10_bridg.html)
August 28, 2010

Quote
MOBILE, Ala. -- It happened to the east during Hurricane Ivan and to the west during Hurricane Katrina. A massive storm surge destroyed part of an interstate highway bridge, causing years of delays and requiring hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs.

In the five years since Katrina punched out the Interstate 10 bridge east of New Orleans and the U.S. 90 bridge connecting Ocean Springs to Biloxi, Alabama officials have done nothing to strengthen an 8-mile-long section of I-10 that crosses Mobile Bay.

Vince Calametti, division engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation in Mobile, said the state will study the possibility of raising or reinforcing the Bayway as it eyes a new bridge over the Mobile River and widens the interstate from four to eight lanes.

First proposed more than a decade ago, that bridge project has been delayed time and again by opposition from a variety of groups, including some shipyards and historic development proponents.

On Friday, Calametti said he didn't want to wait any longer before looking at some ideas to make the Bayway more storm-surge resistant.

"That is something that we are going to start pushing immediately,"  he said. "It seems like the logical next step to take regardless of what happens with the Mobile River Bridge."

Nearly 62,000 cars traversed the Bayway every day in 2009, according to Alabama Department of Transportation data. If a storm were to knock out the bridge, those vehicles would likely choke the Causeway, which carried only about 15,000 cars a day last year.

In the doomsday scenario – both the Bayway and the Causeway knocked out of commission – it could take two hours to bypass the hole in an important east-west artery.

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones said ensuring the Bayway's hurricane survival should be a high priority for both the state and federal officials.

A Press-Register study conducted after Katrina found that, given a certain combination of factors, the Bayway could be vulnerable.

Measurements made on the bridge by Press-Register reporters indicated that the height of the deck girders could range from 16½ feet to 19 feet above mean sea level.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers models indicate that a Category 3 storm hitting somewhere between Mobile Bay and Pascagoula could produce a storm surge at the Bayway of more than 14 feet.

It's likely that such a storm could bring gusts of 140 mph into the upper part of the bay. A wave generation program developed by the University of South Alabama suggests that it's reasonable to expect such conditions could produce individual wave heights in Mobile Bay reaching 8 feet to 12 feet above the surge.

So the underside of the Bayway's road deck would hover just a few feet above the surge, and could be slammed by waves reaching 22 feet to 26 feet above sea level.

"We're going to see more hurricanes, and they're going to be big,"  said Scott Douglass, a professor at the University of South Alabama's civil engineering department who has done extensive research into hurricane damage to other coastal bridges.

"It's not a matter of if,"  he said, "it's a matter of when."

The best way to ensure a bridge survives a hurricane is to build it high enough that the waves can't reach it, he said.

But raising existing structures can be costly, and he said there are less-expensive Band-Aids. They include strengthening the connections that knit the bridge together or reshaping the southern edge of the bridge to give it a more streamlined, wave-resistant design.

Calametti said a decision about raising the Bayway will come down to a cost-benefit analysis – is the possibility of destruction significant enough to spend the money it will take to raise it?

If the answer is yes, the state would likely build four new lanes at a higher level then divert traffic there while workers raise the existing lanes.

How would they raise the bridge bents? Would they just build on top of the existing ones? It would still require additional pilings due to the additional weight of the materials needed to makr it taller. 

Mobile's Michigan Avenue overpass closing today for repairs (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/08/mobiles_michigan_avenue_overpa.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Ala. -- The Michigan Avenue overpass above the CSX railroad tracks just north of the Brookley Industrial Complex is closing today for repairs.

The closure is expected to remain in place until October 2011, according to L&A Contracting Co., which is making the repairs that will be paid for with federal stimulus money, according to a news release from the city of Mobile. The cost is about $3.6 million. The overpass is 69 years old.

Truck and car traffic entering Brookley Industrial Complex will need to use the Broad-Duval exit on Interstate 10 east of Michigan Avenue, then go south into the complex.

Noncommercial and car traffic can also enter Brookley from Dauphin Island Parkway by going east on Military Road and north on Perimeter Road.

The closure will not affect the nearby Michigan Avenue viaduct over I-10.

Yet another case where old infrastructure must continue to perform with today's traffic...  :banghead:

Proposed Mobile River bridge runs into strong opposition at community meeting (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/09/proposed_mobile_river_bridge_r.html)

QuotePreservationists, environmental conservationists and concerned neighbors raised vociferous opposition to a proposed 215-foot bridge over the Mobile River during a Tuesday community meeting.

The Alabama Department of Transportation, which says a bridge is necessary to relieve Interstate 10 congestion through the Wallace Tunnel, held the meeting at the Texas Street Community Center.

A similar meeting is scheduled for Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Daphne Bayfront Park pavilion.

Input from community members will be included in the department's environmental impact statement.

Vince Calametti, division engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation in Mobile, said that the input would be used to choose from one of four locations for the bridge. If opposition proves to be overwhelmingly against the bridge, he said, the project could be scrapped altogether.

Carol Hunter, a member of Save Mobile's Waterfront, a pressure group opposed to the bridge, said Mobile was being asked to swallow a blight-causing bridge so Eastern Shore residents could have an easier commute.

She questioned whether the traffic issues merited a $1 billion bridge investment.

I-10 through Mobile does not rank among the top 35 interstate bottlenecks in the country, a 2008 study conducted by the federal government found. Five other spots on I-10 elsewhere in the country did make the list.

"You don't destroy your city for a few hours of congestion a year,"  Hunter said. "The Interstate Highway system was not meant for commuter travel."

Federal money does not need to be spent solving what amounts to metro-area commute issue, she added.

Calametti said that the tunnel was originally built to handle about 50,000 cars per day but now handles about 80,000.

Service on I-10 near the tunnel is rated F, the second lowest rating possible, he said.

Officials have said a draft of the environmental impact study will be finished around the first of the year.

Carol Hunter needs to wake up and realize, the Interstate highway system is the main conduit for commuter traffic, its the way of the world! Clueless...  :hmmm:

QuoteService on I-10 near the tunnel is rated F, the second lowest rating possible, he said.

I didn't know there was a rating lower than LOS F.

Quote"The Interstate Highway system was not meant for commuter travel."  

Maybe it wasn't originally meant for that purpose, but that is what purpose it fills today.

I don't see how a bridge is going to take away from the riverfront. I think it would add to it, and it may also increase tourism if the bridge is designed to look nice. It will take up more land, yes, but if it it discourages riverfront development, then you may as well tear down all of I-10 through downtown since it would also be discouraging riverfront development. This is a crucial link that needs to happen.

Quote from: codyg1985 on September 01, 2010, 03:06:23 PM

Quote"The Interstate Highway system was not meant for commuter travel."  

then why all those damn three-digit routes that connect nothing to nowhere?

Quote from: codyg1985 on September 01, 2010, 03:06:23 PM

QuoteService on I-10 near the tunnel is rated F, the second lowest rating possible, he said.

I didn't know there was a rating lower than LOS F.

That makes two of us.

Quote from: AARoads on September 01, 2010, 01:00:52 PM
Carol Hunter needs to wake up and realize, the Interstate highway system is the main conduit for commuter traffic, its the way of the world! Clueless...  :hmmm:

No, she's too busy sitting on Schillinger Road driving by herself in her big "gashole" vehicle, talking or texting on the cell phone (or both), sitting in the lemming queue lane twenty vehicles back in the turn lane waiting to get into Wal-Mart, thinking to herself, "oh, this is status-quo." Moron.

Don't you know that Interstate 10 does not just go to Eastern Shores, but stretches from across the country!!!

People like her really piss me off because 10-to-1 she never uses the Wallace Tunnel, or any other tunnel, and has no real concern about what Interstate 10 would do if indeed they were to build a bridge in that area to relieve the tunnel.

QuoteI didn't know there was a rating lower than LOS F.

Strictly per the HCM, there isn't.

But I know of at least one MPO that has created criteria for LOS G.....in layman's terms, just that much worse than F...

Quote from: flaroads on September 01, 2010, 07:01:15 PM
Don't you know that Interstate 10 does not just go to Eastern Shores, but stretches from across the country!!!

Inquiring minds want to know if she's ever been to the Eastern Shores of Mobile Bay in the past decade, two or three. Or is she too busy blockading the bay?

Did she also complain about I-165?

Foley plans Beach Express signs (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/09/foley_plans_beach_express_sign.html)

The title makes you think they are talking about trailblazers, but they are talking about adding service signs to the highway...

QuoteFOLEY, Ala. -- Travelers on the Foley Beach Express will soon see signs similar to notices on interstates advising what businesses and attractions are available just off the highway.

At intersections such as Baldwin County 20, vehicles going to and from Gulf Shores and Orange Beach pass to the east of Foley. Just as interstate signs inform travelers what restaurants, hotels and gasoline stations are available at particular exits, the express signs will be notices advertising Foley businesses, Jeff Rouzie, city director of economic development, said Tuesday.

"It's a way to give our businesses better exposure and let people know what's available,"  Rouzie said. "This is something that we've been discussing for a while and it's something we need to do for our businesses. I think it will be very helpful."

The City Council voted last monthto approve the signs. While the Beach Express provides an alternate route to and from the beach and relieves traffic in downtown, drivers on the highway may not be aware of the attractions in Foley, officials said during discussions. Rouzie said Foley officials are working with the Alabama Department of Transportation to determine the dimensions of the signs. State highway regulations may require that signs on roads such as the Beach Express be smaller than those on interstates, he said.

"We need to be sure the size fits the location,"  he said.

A business listing on a sign will cost $450 a year, Rouzie said.

Rouzie said the city does not have a date set for the signs to be in place, but that the markers should be going up soon.

"We're getting close to that process,"  he said Tuesday.

He said officials will start approaching businesses about purchasing listings as soon as they know the size and first locations for the signs.

Businesses to be advertised could include downtown shops and restaurants and retail centers such as the Tanger Outlet Center, according to Foley officials.

One primary location for the signs will be the intersection of Baldwin County 20 on the south side of Foley. Several businesses have opened or are now being built at the site.

Another location discussed during council work session talks on the plans is the intersection of U.S. 98. Rouzie said smaller signs could also be placed between the Foley Beach Express and Ala. 59 to direct drivers as they get closer to the business district while driving on U.S. 98 or Baldwin County 20.

Still no progress on a new I-10 bridge, but let us instead spend money on removing ramps to Water Street in a lame effort to deal with the curve into the Wallace Tunnel. Never mind the fact that despite a 55 mph speed limit, drivers tend to ride the brakes all the way down into the tunnel's base with consistency. Yesterday I was slowed to 37 mph through the tunnel eastbound and down to 45 westbound. But removing the Water Street ramps will speeds up, sure!  :ded:

Overhaul of I-10 interchange at Wallace Tunnel could start by 2012, officials say (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/09/overhaul_of_i-10_interchange_a.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Ala. -- A long-sought overhaul of the Interstate 10 interchange at the Wallace Tunnel in Mobile now has nearly $27 million of funding in place, and construction could begin as early as 2012, according to state highway officials.

The project aims to improve safety at the tunnel's eastbound entrance by eliminating the Water Street interchange, said Vince Calametti, the Alabama Department of Transportation's Mobile Division Engineer.

Frequent accidents at the mouth of the tunnel are caused by the shape of the eastbound onramp, he said.

The loop that connects Water Street to eastbound I-10 is so short that there is no room to safely accelerate onto the interstate, he said.

The new plan would move the interchange to Canal Street, where the on and off ramps would be constructed in a diamond formation rather than loops.

"We should see a much more efficient movement from Water Street to I-10,"  Calametti said.

The Downtown Mobile Alliance has been pushing to eliminate the Water Street ramps for years, saying they cut off the waterfront from the city's urban core, especially Fort Conde Village.

If the raised ramps were eliminated, the group has argued, Fort Conde Village would roughly double in size.

The revamped interchange was even written into the New Plan For Mobile, an urban development blueprint commissioned by Mayor Sam Jones shortly after he took office.

The idea never gained enough traction to draw funding, though, and was largely shelved until Calametti took over the Mobile Division in 2008, said Elizabeth Sanders, director of the Downtown Mobile Alliance.

Calametti said he liked the idea and eventually found $26.5 million in unused federal money that had been appropriated in the 1990s to straighten out the curve in I-10 as it goes into the tunnel.

The $26.5 million should cover the entire project, he said, although substantial preliminary work needs to be done before that can be said for certain.

He said he didn't know why the straightening project never happened, but the funding for it can be transferred to the interchange project because they both address the traffic issue at the eastbound entrance to the tunnel.

With money available, he said, construction could begin as early as 2012.

Tony Harris, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation, said officials want to begin engineering work on the project now because they are concerned that federal money might be taken away if it isn't spent soon.

Sanders called the newly revived project an example of what can happen when "you have a vision for what you want for your community, and you work together to make it happen."

One of the first steps in the process is amending the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization's transportation scheme to reflect the new project.

The organization, which has to sign off on federal highway projects, will meet Oct. 27 to discuss the matter. If approved, about $1.5 million would be allocated to immediately begin preliminary engineering.

Jones, who chairs the organization, said the project's green light has been a long time coming. "This is something that has plagued our community for some time,"  he said.

The organization has discussed the reconfigured interchange before. Some members are concerned that drivers would have trouble adjusting to the change, but Jones said he doubts that would be a problem.

A reconfigured interchange would not conflict with a proposed I-10 bridge over the Mobile River, Calametti said.

Funding for the bridge, which is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more, has yet to be appropriated.

Mobile County Roundabout Set to open Saturday:

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobile_county_roundabout_set_t.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobile_county_roundabout_set_t.html)

Quote from: jdb1234 on October 06, 2010, 01:16:47 AM
Mobile County Roundabout Set to open Saturday:

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobile_county_roundabout_set_t.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobile_county_roundabout_set_t.html)

I was wondering when the Grelot Road extension was to open. Went by there in August and it looked near completion...  :hmmm:

Funny enough, Baldwin County had roundabout news this week too:

Daphne roundabout nears completion (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/roundabout_nears_completion.html)

QuoteDAPHNE, Alabama -- Though officials hoped the project would be done by mid-September, work now is expected to be completed by Oct. 22 on the city's new roundabout at the intersection of Whispering Pines and Pollard roads.

Over the weekend, workers removed the four stop signs that had been erected six weeks ago, before construction began, at the circle's four entry points. The stop signs were replaced by yield signs, said Daphne Public Works Director Richard Johnson.

The four yield signs were ordered before construction began and just arrived last week, he said.

Using the stop signs was "the only solution to have it open when we didn't have the yield signs yet. We were treating it as basically a fancy four-way stop," Johnson said.

The stop signs were a source of frustration because they forced drivers to stop before entering the roundabout, interrupting the intersection's intended smooth flow and confusing those unaccustomed to such intersections, city officials said.

"Now, the roundabout can function the way it was intended," Johnson said.

The $282,000 roundabout is part of a $650,000 city project awarded this summer to M.C. Williams Contracting Co. of Mobile to resurface the section of Whispering Pines Road from Pollard Road to Baldwin County 13. The rest of the project is essentially complete, he said.

Spill delays Baldwin County's expressway extension plans (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/spill_delays_expressway_extens.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Alabama -- Tourist traffic reduced by the oil spill will delay work to extend the Beach Express from Interstate 10 to I-65 by at least a year, County Engineer Cal Markert said Tuesday.

Addressing a work session of the Baldwin County Commission, Markert said a traffic study that had been planned for the summer would not reflect an accurate count of the average number of vehicles.

"The survey was scheduled to be in June 2010. The oil spill hampered and hurt beach-going traffic, which is part of what we needed to study. That was a critical path to getting the whole project done, so that cannot be done until we get that information."

The commission will vote Tuesday on an amendment to the contract with Wilber Smith Associates of Lisle, Ill., to extend the contract to Oct. 28, 2011.

"This will delay the I-10, I-65 extension by at least a year, maybe more if traffic doesn't get back to normal," Markert said. "Now they'll get started in June 2011."

The contract calls for a study of the amount of beach traffic in Baldwin County and for drivers to be surveyed about their opinions on a toll road extending from I-65 to I-10.

Commissioner Wayne Gruenloh said the delay will mean a loss of a year's tolls if the road is built. Commission Chairman Charles "Skip" Gruber said the postponement means that construction costs could increase before the project moves forward.

Commissioner Frank Burt asked Markert if county officials could estimate a financial cost to the delay. "Is there any way we could put a value on that and file a claim because that's directly related to BP?" Burt asked.

The commission voted in December to award a contract for up to $450,000 to Wilbur Smith to conduct the study.

The Crescent City Connection enhances the skyline here.  Also, it's so high in the air that sunlight has no problem making it down below.  There are no shadow issues if you build it tall enough.  It's NOT the same as building a 20 foot tall elevated expressway through a city.  Under the bridge approach can be a park.  We have the convention center under the CCC here.  It works. 

Mobile's George Wallace Tunnel named top "chokepoint" in Alabama:

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobiles_george_wallace_tunnel.html#incart_hbx (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobiles_george_wallace_tunnel.html#incart_hbx)

Quote from: jdb1234 on October 29, 2010, 12:42:37 PM
Mobile's George Wallace Tunnel named top "chokepoint" in Alabama:

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobiles_george_wallace_tunnel.html#incart_hbx (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/10/mobiles_george_wallace_tunnel.html#incart_hbx)

Heh, I was going to post that article this morning, but ran out of time...  :-P

The article mentions things said before, and nothing ever changes. They can widen Interstate 20 east from Birmingham to the state line, but cannot widen any stretch of Interstate 10...  :pan:

QuoteThe bridge was first proposed in 1996 and has been met since with strong resistance from area business owners, residents and state leaders, who have yet to appropriate money for the project. Barton said, perhaps this study will help our leaders in D.C. see how much we need the bridge.

Will believe it when I see it, the ludicrous nature of statements like "a new bridge will cast a giant shadow over historic downtown" will continually doom this.  :ded:

QuoteThe report also proposed "an outer highway loop on the western part of the region" to alleviate traffic along I-65 between Airport Boulevard and Spring Hill Avenue, which "carries 99,000 vehicles per day (and) experiences significant congestion each morning and early evening."

They had public meetings on the West Mobile Bypass in the early 2000s (I attended one). Developers are free to sprawl the forest and farm land of West Mobile, but the government is not allowed to construct a needed freeway. I do not see this dead proposal being brought back with any legitimate chance either.  :ded:

Took a drive through the new roundabout at Dawes Road, Grelot Road, and new Air Terminal Drive. The five-way roundabout includes a bypass lane for travelers headed north on Dawes Road to Grelot Road east. Found a document (http://www.alabamat2.org/files/pdf/2010-trans-conf/Design%20and%20Computer%20Modeling%20of%20a%20Five%20Legged-Single%20Lane%20Urban%20Roundabout_Joe%20Ruffer_James%20Foster.pdf) detailing the roundabout and the studies that went into it as well.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/air_terminal_dr_sb_app_dawes_grelot_rds.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/air_terminal_dr_sb_app_dawes_grelot_rds.jpg)

Air Terminal Drive southbound on the approach to the new roundabout with Dawes and Grelot Roads. Similar assemblies featuring cardinal direction banners meant for numbered routes were posted on other approaches. Grelot Road is planned to extend west to Snow Road (I don't think this is completed yet).

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/dawes_rd_nb_at_grelot_rd_eb.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/dawes_rd_nb_at_grelot_rd_eb.jpg)

Within the roundabout, traveling toward the Grelot Road east turn. Note the bypass lane to the right.

If scummy county commissioners could not first succeed, they will try try again...
The public rightfully fought this road and it was dropped, but Baldwin County Commissioners decided to resurrect it in the hopes to again fund it. The main benefit of the road is the enhancement of developmental value of the Spanish Fort Town Center and the opening of forest land along the north side of Interstate 10 to more useless development. Gotta love local government that listens to its constituents...  :banghead:

New Baldwin County Commission makes deep cuts, restarts service road project (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/11/new_commission_makes_deep_cuts.html)

QuoteIn what became a heated discussion, commissioners voted to resurrect a project to build a service road that would connect Bass Pro Shops to a planned interchange on Interstate 10 at Baldwin County 13. The commission voted in April to kill the project under a firestorm of protest from area residents and environmentalists.

Dozens of residents from the Eastern Shore spoke against the project, saying it would lower their property values, do little to alleviate traffic on major roadways and would primarily serve to make millions for private developers.

Mayors from Daphne and Spanish Fort both spoke in favor of the road.

Commissioners said the 3-1 vote was not a guarantee that the project would happen, but rather just began the process of planning anew and would be a means of finding the cost of the project.

Burt cut short several speakers who were critical of the project and who said commissioners were favoring developers at taxpayer expense.

One vocal critic, attorney Tom O'Hara, asked commissioners why the public copy of the agenda included a line saying the commission would name the service road "Palumbo Road." Gus Palumbo, Daphne City Councilman, has been an outspoken opponent of the service road.

Assistant Administrator David Brewer said he made the error, passed it on to his staff and was responsible for the line in the public copy.

All the commissioners later apologized for the gaffe, and directed Brewer to make a public apology.

Reached by e-mail, Palumbo was less than forgiving, and said commissioners were to blame for the error and not Brewer.

"It's interesting that with all the problems facing Baldwin County," Palumbo wrote, "the first order of business set by the new commission was to name a road after a Daphne city councilman. I wonder how much of their back-door secret meeting time was taken up by resuscitating a road project already rejected by the previous commission as well as unanimous vote of the Daphne city council, to be paid for by millions of taxpayers' dollars for the benefit of their developer and construction pals."

Palumbo called the error "consistent with the mean-spirited lack of class and sophomoric behavior demonstrated by the new commission members since their election."

There were some moments when the lack of key personnel seemed to leave officials looking for information or procedural advice.

Burt said the members of the new board "plan a more transparent government" and was met with laughter from the audience. Burt scolded those present and threatened to have deputies remove some speakers he said were "out of order."

Daphne council rejects county revival of I-10 service road (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/11/daphne_council_rejects_county.html)

QuoteDAPHNE, Alabama -- The City Council voted Monday to oppose an effort by newly elected Baldwin County commissioners to resurrect a project that would build a service road connecting Bass Pro Shops to a planned interchange on Interstate 10 at Baldwin County 13.

"If they go forward, they'll have to do it without the city's money," Councilman Gus Palumbo said in a Wednesday interview.

The council on Monday reaffirmed, though not unanimously this time, its April vote to withdraw the $1 million it had committed to funding the $8 million Baldwin County project. The commission also voted that month to kill the project under a firestorm of protest from area residents and environmentalists.

Newly elected Baldwin County commissioners are seeking to resurrect the project. During the commission's first meeting after the Nov. 2 elections, commissioners voted 3-1 to do so.

County staff members then sent a letter to the Daphne council requesting the city's financial support.

The council responded Monday by voting 6-1 to reaffirm its unanimous April vote to withdraw its support. Councilman Ron Scott cast the sole dissenting vote Monday.

Scott did so after requesting, and receiving, a two-minute recess during which he talked with City Attorney Jay Ross about whether he had a conflict of interest and should recuse himself from the service road vote.

Scott, who works as a technician for Baldwin County's Planning and Zoning Department, did not say why he might need to recuse himself. After the council meeting reconvened, Scott made a motion to table the service road item. The motion died for lack of a second endorsement.

The council then voted to support the resolution, with Scott the lone dissenter. The Register's efforts to contact Scott on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

The resolution stated that the city would not support the road project financially or in any other way, and urged that the County Commission abandon its efforts to revive it.

As an incentive to support the project, the Baldwin County Commission agreed, as part of the project, to dredge Lake Forest lake and install retention ponds and other runoff prevention devices to decrease siltation and other problems along D'Olive Creek. That dredge material would be used as fill for the road project.

During the public comments segment of Monday's meeting, several people spoke in opposition to the road project, including residents of the TimberCreek and Lake Forest subdivisions.

One of the speakers was John Steadman, dean of the University of South Alabama's College of Engineering. Steadman said that dredged materials are not suitable to create a roadbed.

"The overall project is ill-conceived and should not be funded," Steadman said.

Chester McConnell, a TimberCreek resident and vice president and conservation chairman for the Mobile Bay Audubon Society, said the proposed road would only make matters worse for the D'Olive Creek watershed, which is already massively eroded.

Developers said in 2007 that Mobile Infirmary planned to build a hospital on property along the route, which helped boost political support to build the service road.

The commission committed $3.1 million to the project, including $2.5 million in cash and $650,000 for design and environmental work. TimberCreek Land Co. and the development firm Cypress Equities each agreed to contribute $2 million while Daphne officials supported giving $1 million.

The road would connect Bass Pro Shops Drive to Woodrow Lane, which intersects Ala. 181 near the Eastern Shore Centre in Spanish Fort.

But the plans for the Mobile Infirmary hospital never materialized.

Then, in March, PGA golfer Rob Bradley bought four of the five properties that make up TimberCreek Golf Club's 240-acre golf course.

The other nine holes, the Magnolia Course near I-10, were not part of that deal. For that land, Bradley signed a 5-year lease.

The deal raised alarms for many TimberCreek residents, who assumed that TimberCreek Investments intended to develop the "lower nine" course commercially at some later date.

That led to an uprising by TimberCreek residents, who showed up by the hundreds at public meetings in April to press the commission and the Daphne City Council to withdraw their support for the service road project.

Both bodies did so. Daphne council members said their main reason for revoking their support is the fact that the Mobile Infirmary project – which had been at the center of the initial plan – is now off the table.

Quote from: AARoads on November 18, 2010, 11:41:15 AM
Daphne council rejects county revival of I-10 service road (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/11/daphne_council_rejects_county.html)

QuoteDAPHNE, Alabama -- The City Council voted Monday to oppose an effort by newly elected Baldwin County commissioners to resurrect a project that would build a service road connecting Bass Pro Shops to a planned interchange on Interstate 10 at Baldwin County 13.

"If they go forward, they'll have to do it without the city's money," Councilman Gus Palumbo said in a Wednesday interview.

Usually this is something Bass Pro would fund.  Certainly in this part of the country where there is relative economic vibrancy (though in these times, hard to say that about anywhere).  Of course, this being more backwoods, Bass Pro figures that they can get other people to spend some money instead because they're bringing business somewhere it's needed.  I'm sure when push comes to shove, Bass Pro will cough up a few more bucks vs. giving up the location (but it will sure threaten).

It was originally slated to be a trumpet interchange, but I suspect its a diamond now with a dead end waiting the sprawl-inducing frontage road now...

Interstate 10 interchange work in Baldwin County to begin in one year (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/11/i-10_interchange_work_in_baldw.html)

QuoteDAPHNE, Alabama – More than five years after construction was initially set to begin, work is now expected to start in November of next year on a $23 million Interstate 10 interchange between the Eastern Shore Centre and Bass Pro Shops in Spanish Fort.

Officials said federal funding for the interchange, and plans for construction, have not been hindered by the recent controversy over a proposed service road that would connect Bass Pro Shops Drive in Spanish Fort to Woodrow Lane, which intersects Ala. 181 near the Eastern Shore Centre.

"Our current set of plans were developed to include the service road, but our interchange doesn't hinge on the service road. We're still moving ahead," said Vince Calametti, head of the Alabama Department of Transportation's Mobile division.

Several pieces of property remain to be purchased where the proposed interchange will be built, Calametti said. The road plans also have not yet received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he said.

The Daphne City Council voted 6-1 last week to oppose an effort by newly elected Baldwin County commissioners to resurrect the service road. The council reaffirmed its April vote to withdraw the $1 million it had committed to funding the estimated $8 million Baldwin County project.

The former commission voted in April to kill the proposed road under a firestorm of protest from TimberCreek subdivision residents and environmentalists.

During the new commission's first meeting after the Nov. 2 elections, commissioners voted 3-1 to seek new cost estimates for the service road and to secure funding sources.

The service road will require a separate Corps of Engineers permit, which has not been applied for yet, said Baldwin County Engineer Cal Markert.

TimberCreek residents opposed to the service road said they will submit criticisms to try to prevent the Corps of Engineers from issuing a permit.

"That will be another way to try to block it," said Chester McConnell, a TimberCreek resident and vice president and conservation chairman for the Mobile Bay Audubon Society.

The road's construction will be a disaster for the D'Olive Creek watershed, which is already massively eroded, he said.

Markert said construction of the service road hopefully will begin within three months, after cost estimates and the corps permit are received. The absence of Daphne's $1 million commitment may not present much of an obstacle, he said.

According to the arrangement made in 2007, the County Commission committed $3.1 million to the road project; TimberCreek Land Co., $2 million; developer Cypress Equities, $2 million; and city of Daphne $1 million.

The commission has not committed to paying a larger share to complete the road. But that may not be necessary, depending on the cost estimates, county officials said.

Spanish Fort Mayor Joe Bonner said he and his City Council remain committed to the service road. For its own part, the city constructed Bass Pro Shops Drive right up to the city limits in 2007.

"We've already got the majority of the road built, but we can't pave anything outside our city limits," Bonner said.

Essentially, the entire holdup with the service road derives from the fact that its middle section, just south of TimberCreek subdivision, lies within the city limits of Daphne.

The road would connect Spanish Fort's two biggest retail areas – the Spanish Fort Town Center and the Eastern Shore Centre.

Daphne Mayor Fred Small has taken the opposite position to the majority of his council on the service road. He said the county's commitment to doing $700,000 in wetlands mitigation work within the D'Olive watershed is too good an opportunity to pass up.

Markert said wetlands in the D'Olive Creek watershed will be destroyed when the service road is built. That will require the county to either purchase credits in a mitigation bank, which will result in wetlands restoration somewhere in the United States, or to do mitigation locally.

Markert said the county would like to perform the mitigation work on D'Olive Creek, the same watershed the road construction would damage.

McConnell said it was "laughable" for the county to claim its promised streambed restoration would make up for the damage caused by construction.

Nevius Road extension to Hillcrest Road is open (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/11/nevius_road_extension_to_hillc.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Ala. -- The Nevius Road Connector that will allow motorists quicker access from Interstate 10 to west Mobile was scheduled to open at noon today, Mobile County officials said today.

The connector runs from Nevius Road to Hillcrest Road. County engineers said recently that it would be another three weeks before the road would be open because they were having difficulty getting the necessary safety striping. However, the amount of material needed was found, said John Murphy, assistant county engineer.
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There is some some finishing work that has to be done such a planting of permanent grass and removal of some excess dirt, Murphy said.

And I noted on the Baldwin County, AL GIS viewer that the right of way is now displayed. I will post a map from a geodatabase I am developing next.

Baldwin commissioners approve deal on Foley Beach Express extension (http://blog.al.com/live/2010/12/baldwin_approves_deal_on_foley.html)

Quote
BAY MINETTE, Alabama – Baldwin County commissioners voted 3-1 Tuesday to approve a last-minute deal with state highway officials that secures funding for the $111 million Foley Beach Express Extension, but stops work on the Interstate 10 interchange at Baldwin County 13.

Commissioner Bob James voted against the agreement.

At the commission meeting, Chairman Frank Burt announced the details of the proposed deal with state transportation officials stemming from a Dec. 10 meeting. Commissioners said the plan would speed economic recovery for the area hard hit by the BP PLC oil disaster and enhance hurricane evacuation in the county.

Burt said he met with Gov. Bob Riley; U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Mobile; Baldwin County Probate Judge Tim Russell; and state Department of Transportation Director Joe McInnes and Assistant Director Don Vaughn. Local legislators were invited but unable to attend, Burt said. Local legislative services director Stephen Pryor attended the meeting in Mobile, Burt said.

"I was pleading for them to get the project moving," Burt said. "It has been so long, and is so needed to help get our economy recovering."

Burt said it was a matter of choosing the express as the county's priority project. Burt said he pushed for action, and a letter proposing a deal arrived late Monday.

The agreement secures funding for most of the cost of completing the Foley Beach Express extension to I-10. In exchange, however, the county would ask for work to cease on the Baldwin 13/I-10 interchange and for work to be delayed on widening Ala. 181 south of Ala. 104, he said, so money allotted to those projects could be shifted to the express extension.

The agreement will suspend work on a controversial service road that would have connected Bass Pro Shops to the Eastern Shore Centre near the TimberCreek subdivision. Commissioners said they would meet with legislators to try to find money to complete the interchange in the near future. Burt said Bonner mentioned the protested service road Dec. 10, including e-mails from many constituents opposing the road and talk of future legal action to stop it.

"I think this is good news for opponents of the service road as I can't see how they can justify building it now," said Ian Walters, a resident of TimberCreek and outspoken opponent of the service road.

A Fairhope area citizens group applauded the deal, along with Daphne Councilman Gus Palumbo and Daphne area resident Chester McConnell of the Mobile Bay Audubon Society.

"Creating the opportunity for better hurricane-evacuation traffic from south Baldwin County is certainly a much more fiscally sensible idea than building a service road that's clearly not needed," said Phil Brady of Citizens for Responsible Government, a citizen-formed government watchdog group.

James, whose commission district includes the Eastern Shore, said he believed the move to shut down the project was "intentional" and tried unsuccessfully to postpone a vote. Spanish Fort Mayor Joe Bonner said he didn't like the news, but understood the decision.

Burt said the proposal had to be approved prior to the new governor's administration taking office Jan. 17 to guarantee the shift in funding. Burt said the state's budget would be in dire shape next year and starting over with a new director would make securing the money a longshot.

Baldwin County Highway Director Cal Markert said the project's cost totals $87 million for road construction with another $24 million added for the interchange. Markert said the county will contribute a $600,000 match with a possible additional $2.5 million match depending on the actual bid prices.

And here is the path of the Baldwin Beach Express (a grab from a geodatabase I created). Not much different then what I expected, a few slight kinks in the right of way and an alignment that takes it across CR 64 west of the current end of CR 83. Click for larger:


(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/baldwin_beach_express.png) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/baldwin_beach_express.png)

The ALDOT letter to the Baldwin County Commission (http://media.al.com/live/other/ALDOT%20letter%20to%20BCC%20%28Dec%2020,%202010%29.PDF) lists the project as CR-83 and outlines the funding elements and request to move money from the CR-13 interchange with Interstate 10 and the four-laning of AL-181 south of AL-104.

I'm presuming that, as with the Foley Beach Express (and Alabama in general), this highway would not have any sort of access control.

I have a question re: the Water St ramps.  How do you "find" $26 million that has been unused for 20+years?

VDOT might know how...the Governor here supposedly found $1.4 billion "sitting unused"...

Finally got the chance to take the new alignment of Baldwin County 13 (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=101.msg62252;topicseen#msg62252) yesterday, between Alabama 181 and CR-64. The road opened earlier this year and is vastly rural, heading through Auburn University's Gulf Coast Research Center lands near a handful of ponds.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/new_cr-013.png)

CR 13 originally ended at AL 104 from the south and dead-ended south of CR 64. The new alignment skirts a few ponds, a change from its "section-line" routing to the north and south.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-013_nb_app_al-104.jpg)

How Baldwin County 13 northbound approaching Alabama 104 looked in 2006.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-013_nb_at_al-104.jpg)

How Baldwin County 13 northbound at Alabama 104 appears now. The mast arm traffic signals are currently set in a stop phase for north/south CR-13 and caution phase for east/west Alabama 104.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-013_nb_app_fly_cr.jpg)

Approaching the crossing of Fly Creek on CR-13 north.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/cr-013_nb_after_fly_cr.jpg)

Continuing north along the winding path of CR-13 from Fly Creek.

Crews near completion of link between U.S. 43, Celeste Road (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/01/crews_near_completion_of_link.html)

QuoteConstruction to extend Weaver Road to Henry David Road – creating a permanent connection between the heavily trafficked U.S. 43 and Celeste Road – is nearly halfway complete, according to the Mobile County Commission.

The project started in August, said commission spokeswoman Nancy Johnson, and should conclude by June.

Weaver Road is just south of Mount Vernon, between Coy Smith Highway and Lofton Road.

Currently, said Commission President Merceria Ludgood, Weaver Road dead-ends into a patch of "virgin forest."

"We're cutting through that virgin forest to connect to Henry Davis Road, which goes all the way to Celeste Road,"  Ludgood said. "I think it's going to be very exciting to have this alternate route. U.S. 43 is so heavily trafficked, and this gives people another option."

The project cost $3.6 million, Ludgood said.

The two-lane connector will be 3.3 miles long, Johnson said.

Ludgood said that the commission will begin another road project in January to add three turn lanes off Coy Smith Highway.

The turn lanes, she said, will be added at the entrance of Calcedeaver Elementary School, to Sam Lewis Road, and to Red Fox Road.

"This is something the community really wanted, especially the turn lane by the school,"  Ludgood said. "By putting in these turning lanes, it will make travel much easier."

The project, Ludgood said, should cost $494,000 and wrap up by April.

The county commissioners will simply not let the service road die, despite out cry from locals that they do not want it. Of course two of the members have land near the proposed CR-13 interchange, and developers certainly want it built...

Baldwin officials wrangle over priority road projects (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/01/baldwin_officials_wrangle_over.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE – Public officials from Baldwin County met twice this week trying to save three key road projects that cannot proceed for lack of money.
baldwincountyseal.jpg

The meetings followed a deal that could stall two of the projects to partially fund the other: an extension of Baldwin 83, also known as the Foley Beach Express.

Involved in the meetings were all four county commissioners, Probate Judge Tim Russell, Daphne Mayor Fred Small and Spanish Fort Mayor Joe Bonner, as well as Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, Rep. Steve McMillan, R-Gulf Shores, Rep. Joe Faust, R-Fairhope, Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne and staff members.


Baldwin's priority list for road projects includes:

    * Extending the Beach Express to Interstate 10.
    * Widening Ala. 181 from U.S. 31 to U.S. 98.
    * Creating an interchange at Baldwin 13 and I-10.

On Friday, Russell called for a Feb. 7 meeting of all Baldwin mayors and incoming Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper. Russell said that it's critical to strike an agreement so that Cooper can work toward those goals.

Still, the week brought more bad news: The county may need to put up at least $10 million toward whichever work is chosen.

"What we are really talking about is, "˜If there is any money,'"  Commission Chairman Frank Burt said after a meeting Tuesday with state officials in Montgomery.

"If there is any, is there enough?"

Burt called the Montgomery event the "best meeting I've been to in 22 years with the Alabama Department of Transportation."

Others were less complimentary.

"It was terrible,"  said Commissioner Charles "Skip"  Gruber. "Nothing really happened at all. I think ALDOT is the same. They are not going to change. It seems like they spent the federal money, spent the county's money and now there is nothing left."

Officials across the county agreed years ago to hand over a list of the top three projects in Baldwin for state consideration. No. 1 was an extended corridor along Baldwin County 83, also known as the Foley Beach Express, linking with I-10 and eventually I-65.

Gov.-elect Robert Bentley made the roadway part of his campaign, repeatedly calling it "a priority,"  along with a new convention center at the coast.

Next on the county's priority list was widening Ala. 181 from U.S. 31 south to U.S. 98 as a commercial center took shape at I-10's Malbis exit between Spanish Fort and Daphne.

The third project was the I-10 interchange at Baldwin County 13 where other retail centers were springing up. Pittman and Commissioner Bob James both own interest in commercial property near the interchange, records show.

James said Friday that a service road proposed at the Baldwin 13 interchange would offer the only chance for restoration efforts on D'Olive Creek. He said the interchange depends on the service road, although state engineers made statements to the contrary.

Because of severe budget troubles, Burt said, the state can offer only to shift resources from the other two projects to Baldwin 83.

Even if all sides can agree, Burt said, the county could need to find at least $10 million for the Beach Express extension, estimated to cost $52 million. Burt said he would be willing to commit county reserve funds.

Burt said that Eastern Shore leaders have supported moving forward with the Baldwin County 13 interchange and its service road. Some critics of the project have threatened lawsuits, however.

State District Construction Engineer Matthew Ericksen said Wednesday that the service road is a separate issue that the county must address. He said the state can't proceed with the interchange until that issue is settled.

"The state is waiting for the county to decide if they are going to construct the service road,"  Ericksen said.

The service road will affect the design of the interchange, he said, and the sequencing of work.

Old Shell Road widening project nearing completion, says Mobile County Commissioner (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/01/old_shell_road_widening_projec.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Ala. -- A project to widen about two miles of Old Shell Road in west Mobile is about 80 percent complete and should be wrapped up by the end of March, according to County Commissioner Connie Hudson.

The project will widen Old Shell from two lanes to five lanes between Hillcrest and Schillinger roads, adding not only capacity, but also continuity to the corridor.

A one-mile section of Old Shell had already been widened between University Boulevard and Hillcrest Road.

The project has been under construction since early 2009, according to Hudson, but it has been in the works for much longer than that.

Kevin Harrison, director of the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization, which coordinates funding for road projects, joked that it had been on the organization's long range plan "for decades."

The $9.8 million project is being paid through a combination of federal, state and county money, Harrison said.

The county's portion, about $2 million, is being paid for from Pay-As-You-Go program funds.

James Vorpahl, a county engineer, said the project was initially expected to cost more than $13 million. At that price, the county to would have had to kick in an additional $600,000.

The economic downturn, though, has created intense competition among contractors, he said, which has decreased the project's price tag.

This video follows a portion of U.S. 90 in the city of Mobile, from I-165 to just west of I-65.


Be well,

Bryant

How annoying, they reacctivated the traffic light at Beauregard Street and Lawrence Street (first signal pictured in your video). It was in flash mode last time I drove through it. Lawrence yields little traffic these days, and many buildings around the east of Bishop State Beauregard are abandoned.

Some local (anal) roadgeek corrections/suggestions:

US 45 does not begin until the intersection with Springhill Avenue and St. Stephens Road, not too far west of Beauregard Street (despite the shield referencing US 45 on US 90 west at that intersection Broad Street south).

U.S. 90 west should reference Tillman's Corner, Theodore, or Pascagoula, Airport Boulevard splits off of it and is the road that ventures to Mobile Regional Airport.

I think you got AL 163 confused with AL 193, though neither really goes to Theodore. AL 163 goes south to Hollingers Island, ending at AL 193 prematurely. AL 193 travels between Tillman's Corner to Dauphin Island.

Enjoyed the video!

Quote from: AARoads on January 13, 2011, 12:09:51 PM

Some local (anal) roadgeek corrections/suggestions:

US 45 does not begin until the intersection with Springhill Avenue and St. Stephens Road, not too far west of Beauregard Street (despite the shield referencing US 45 on US 90 west at that intersection Broad Street south).

U.S. 90 west should reference Tillman's Corner, Theodore, or Pascagoula, Airport Boulevard splits off of it and is the road that ventures to Mobile Regional Airport.

I think you got AL 163 confused with AL 193, though neither really goes to Theodore. AL 163 goes south to Hollingers Island, ending at AL 193 prematurely. AL 193 travels between Tillman's Corner to Dauphin Island.

Enjoyed the video!

On U.S. 45: Oh, okay. It's one of those things where ALDOT didn't remove the shield, or just neglected putting a "TO" shield above the U.S. 45 shield. (?)

On U.S. 90: I used the Mobile Regional Airport reference, as you get to Airport Blvd. first. I could've used the other control cities to augment that. Or after passing that street listed them.

On AL 163: Does this highway act as a bypass of U.S. 90 to AL 193 back to Tillmans('s) Corner around I-65?


Glad that you liked it, Alex, and thanks for your help with planning a trip along U.S. 90. :-)


Be well,

Bryant

QuoteOn AL 163: Does this highway act as a bypass of U.S. 90 to AL 193 back to Tillmans('s) Corner around I-65?

Not really.  You could use it as a "bypass" if you're continuing south on 193.  But to use it to get back to 90 at Tillmans Corner is really out of your way...like 8 additional miles out of the way...twice the distance if you just stay on 90.

Several Mobile railroad crossings to close through Friday for repairs:

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/01/several_railroad_crossings_to.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/01/several_railroad_crossings_to.html)

Quote from: Bryant5493 on January 13, 2011, 08:32:46 PM

On U.S. 45: Oh, okay. It's one of those things where ALDOT didn't remove the shield, or just neglected putting a "TO" shield above the U.S. 45 shield. (?)

On U.S. 90: I used the Mobile Regional Airport reference, as you get to Airport Blvd. first. I could've used the other control cities to augment that. Or after passing that street listed them.

On AL 163: Does this highway act as a bypass of U.S. 90 to AL 193 back to Tillmans('s) Corner around I-65?


Glad that you liked it, Alex, and thanks for your help with planning a trip along U.S. 90. :-)


Be well,

Bryant

The U.S. 45 shield should have a "TO" posted above it, but they never addressed that direction in the truncation of U.S. 45, and there was no accompanying guide sign posted either. Original signage reflected the overlap of U.S. 45 & 98:

(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama090/us-090_eb_098_wb_at_downtown_split_02.jpg)

The first stretch of Airport Boulevard acts as a local connector (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama999/airport_bl_wb_at_dip.jpg). The road becomes the awful arterial that it is west of Florida Street (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama999/airport_bl_wb_at_florida_st.jpg), gaining significant traffic from Bel Air Mall and Interstate 65 westward. It is definitely not the best way to the airport, even though it is signed as the way to the airport. Had they not let the road be destroyed with development, it might still be functionally useful. The reality is that there is no good way to get to the airport from any direction except for perhaps from the Big Creek Lake area... With all that stated, your rational for its use as a control point is not bad, considering that U.S. 90 stays in the city limits of Mobile until after Theodore with recent annexations of Mobile.

Alabama 163 was the main road to Dauphin Island until they widened the Navigation Ship Channel to the south, removing its bridge in the process. Alabama 163 is lightly trafficked from south of the Dog River to Hollingers Island as compared with it near Interstate 10. It mostly acts as a local arterial these days. Alabama 193 was added in by 1979 and retains a few expressway elements (like frontage roads) south of Interstate 10, but is more or less an arterial north of Exit 17 due to Wal-Mart and the commercial frontage off Halls Mill Road (ancient U.S. 90).

City council and developers continue to try to force that service road...  :crazy:

Spanish Fort continues to back road projects (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/01/spanish_fort_continues_to_back.html)

QuoteSPANISH FORT, Alabama – With the passage of two resolutions, the City Council on Monday unanimously voiced its support for the proposed interchange at Interstate 10 and Baldwin County 13 and a controversial service road extension.

By a vote of 5-0 each, the council approved the measures. District 3 Councilman Joe Thomas was absent from the meeting.

The service road would extend westward from the interchange to Bass Pro Drive in the Spanish Fort Town Center shopping center.

Certified copies of the resolutions will be sent to the Alabama Department of Transportation, members of the local legislative delegation and the Baldwin County Commission, officials said. No city funding was connected to the approved measures.

"We already paid for our section (of the service road) in 2008," Mayor Joe Bonner said. "We built the frontage road when they were down there constructing the buildings and other streets through the CID (cooperative improvement district.)"

The CID was created to assist in the construction of public infrastructure in the Town Center, according City Attorney David Conner.

The service road extension would provide access to and from the U.S 90/98 and Ala. 181 corridors, according to city officials.

Prior to the vote, state Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, addressed council members, saying he was there mainly to offer encouragement for the resolutions. But he also expressed concerns about plans to shift funding for the projects to the ongoing Foley Beach Express extension.

"I'm steadfast in my position that this is an important issue that needs to be addressed and that the funding is too important for our region as we continue to grow," he said.

In the past, Bonner has stated that the council has always supported the service road, believing it to be an integral part of the city's future.

The City Council of neighboring municipality Daphne voted in April to withdraw its former pledge of $1 million for the controversial $8 million service road under a firestorm of protest from area residents and environmentalists.

Under the same public pressure, most of it from residents of the TimberCreek subdivision, the Baldwin County Commission also voted that month to kill the service road project.

But, during the first commission meeting after the Nov. 2 elections, commissioners voted 3-1 to revive the service road. The Daphne council that month voted again, reaffirming its opposition to building the road.

In December, Baldwin County commissioners approved a deal with the state that would fund a $111 million Foley Beach Express extension to Interstate 10 but cancel an I-10 interchange in Daphne at Baldwin County 13.

Ever since then, several public officials have worked to revive the interchange and, with it, the service road – including Bonner, Davis, and Commissioner Bob James.

(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama065/i-065_nb_exit_001_02.jpg) (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama065/i-065_nb_exit_001_02.jpg)

Noted today that the first Interstate 65 shield, done in 1958 MUTCD specs, was replaced with a standard 1970 MUTCD spec based shield...

Also noted all of the signals along Spring Hill Avenue / Zeigler Boulevard from McGregor Road to Cody Road were replaced with either Eagle Mark IV's or McCains (black fronts/yellow backs). The two Eagle flatbacks at McGregor Avenue are now gone (they may be available for purchase at the City Electric Department).

(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama999/spring_hill_av_eb_at_mcgregor_av.jpg) (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama999/spring_hill_av_eb_at_mcgregor_av.jpg)

Took Old Shell Road and widening of the road is still underway. Probably will be spring for its completion (as scheduled). A signal was added to Foreman Road and mast-arm assemblies are going up at Cody Road.

Road projects to close 2 Mobile thoroughfares:

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/road_projects_to_close_2_mobil.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/road_projects_to_close_2_mobil.html)

Another article on a series of meetings/discussions over the developer-supported Service Road north of Interstate 10 in Spanish Fort...

Controversial Baldwin County service road loses support of state representative (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/service_road_loses_legislative.html)

Today in history: Airport Boulevard gets named; the dangers of hand-cranked autos (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/today_in_history_airport_blvd.html)

QuoteWednesday, February 22, 1961:

"The names of part of Old Government Street and Grant Street were changed to Airport Boulevard Tuesday by the City Commission.

"The route, a main artery to Bates Field, was changed to make finding the municipal airport simpler for strangers, the commissioners said."

The widening is south of Cottage Hill Road to Three Notch Kroner Road. The article does not mention much of anything else, such as a time table, when it may start, etc.

Mobile County to use eminent domain for Schillinger Road expansion (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/mobile_county_to_use_eminent_d.html)

QuoteThe Mobile County Commission is on the verge of using eminent domain to acquire a pair of properties that officials say they need in order to complete a widening project on Schillinger Road.

Long needed widening will push the six lane section of Interstate 10 westward, but a 50 mph work zone for 2.5 years is crummy...

Work to add lanes to Interstate 10 under way (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/03/work_to_add_lanes_to_interstat.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama -- A $26.4 million Alabama Department of Transportation project to add lanes on Interstate 10 west of Mobile began this week, officials said today in a news release.

The project will add one lane in each direction, officials said. The new lanes will span 3.8 miles of I-10 from Halls Mill Creek (milepost 18.48) to Carol Plantation Road (milepost 14.65) in Theodore, officials said.The project is scheduled for completion by August 2013, officials said.

ALDOT's construction crews will close lanes only during nighttime hours between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. when interstate traffic volumes are typically lowest, offcials said. Construction crews will add additional lanes in the median and resurface existing lanes. The project will also replace the bridge at the U.S. 90 interchange, officials said.

A reduced speed limit of 50 mph is in effect throughout the work zone. Motorists should observe work-zone speed limits and other work-zone signs, and use extreme caution in this area. State troopers will control traffic and enforce speed limits, officials said.

State backs Baldwin Beach Express project with toll option:

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/03/state_backs_baldwin_beach_expr.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/03/state_backs_baldwin_beach_expr.html)

Beach Express fee could take a toll on tourism, officials say (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/03/beach_express_fee_could_take_a.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Alabama – A road construction deal announced by Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper last week didn't please tourist town officials, but County Commission Chairman Frank Burt called the offer "a win."

Debate about three projects listed by the county as priority roadwork started in December when Burt told commissioners he had negotiated a deal with state transportation officials.

At countywide meetings years ago, officials agreed that the number one priority was the extension of Baldwin County 83 to link the Foley Beach Express with Interstate 10 and ultimately I-65 with the new roadway dubbed the "Baldwin Beach Express." Next on the list was the widening of Ala. 181 and last was an I-10 interchange at Baldwin County 13.

Work on the Express and Ala. 181 began in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and the Baldwin 13 interchange was in the engineering phase last year when controversy erupted over renewed efforts to build a service road. In November, the new County Commission reversed the previous administration's decision and revived the project, which would link to the proposed interchange. Officials said last month that the service road was "off the table" due to public opposition and lack of local funding though no official commission vote has happened.

Burt said in December that he became aware state funding would be drastically reduced and negotiated a deal with state officials to "lock in" money for continued work on the Baldwin Beach Express. Part of the deal, however, was moving money from the two other projects on the list.

Commissioners voted to take the deal in January before the new state administration took over, but a letter from the Alabama Department of Transportation finalizing the agreement never arrived. Cooper told local officials in a meeting in February he would honor the agreement if they could agree on the priority work. He told them the state did not have the money to pay for all the planned roadwork.

In fact, initial estimates indicated that all the money available for the three projects in Baldwin would fall about $12 million short of paying for the expressway project alone.

In the meeting last week, Cooper told Burt he would agree to "find" state money to cover the shortfall and work would continue on the Beach Express as a state priority. But, he told officials, charging a toll for motorists using the roadway would be an option given the dire funding situation in the state.

That would mean motorists using the route from I-10 southward could pay two tolls – one for the road and another for the bridge at the Intracoastal Waterway. County officials are currently studying the feasibility of building a northern extension linking to I-65 funded by a toll as well.

Local officials had expressed anger when the state's estimated cost of the expressway drastically increased without explanation after U.S. congressmen had secured millions to pay for the construction.

Cooper acknowledged the discrepancy in estimating, calling it "our mystery."

Cooper left open the possibility of modifying plans if other funding becomes available – such as any payment from BP PLC to the state. But, he said, he would not budget dependent on money that may not be available for general use.

"The president has made a bold transportation proposal," Cooper said, "but there is no specified funding. We are looking at federal transportation funding next year at about 75 percent of what we have been getting. New lanes, new roads in our state will be getting more scarce." He said Alabama would be forced to use tolls as a way to pay for construction.

If tolling is part of the funding for the expressway in Baldwin, he said, the state would take on maintenance of the roadway. He didn't rule out possible public-private partnerships in some road construction in the future.

When Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon and Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft balked at the toll idea last week, Cooper quickly told them, "if you don't want us to build the road, we won't build it."

For people in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, the mayors said, a toll would all but negate the benefits of a new north-south route.

"If you are putting an additional toll on (the Baldwin Beach Express) where there is already an issue with the $3.50 bridge toll, it is an issue we need to explore," Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said Friday. "I wasn't saying in the meeting it was a deal killer – just that we need to assess the amount of any toll and consider our options."

Burt told Cooper the county wants the road built, but would like to be able to avoid tolling if possible. Burt said local leaders would try to come up with more money if it becomes apparent tolling is more likely.

According to state plans, work on the Beach Express section from Baldwin County 32 to U.S. 90 is expected to start in October, according to state plans.

The expressway I-10 interchange would be done by September 2012 about two to three months after the 32-to-90 section is completed, officials said.

Officials working on traffic fixes for Mobile's Airport Boulevard (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/03/airport_boulevard_traffic_fixe.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama -- Two projects are in the works to loosen up traffic on one of Mobile's most frequently congested thoroughfares, officials said.

The first plan to make Airport Boulevard less of a headache – retiming and coordinating some of the traffic signals – is almost ready to go, said Vince Calametti, chief engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation's 9th Division.

The second, more ambitious, project calls for the reconfiguring of major intersections on the street. That initiative is still in its infancy.

The plan to retime the lights and link them together via radio poles has been on the drawing board for a while.

Bill Metzger, who recently retired from the city after running its traffic-engineering office for nearly two decades, said it's been in the works for at least three years.

The first leg of the project required the city to construct a network of radio towers stretching across the city from Schillinger Road to traffic-engineering headquarters south of Virginia Street, Metzger said.

Those towers are already up and running.

The second leg will link traffic signals along Airport Boulevard from Cody Road to Old Government Street at the Loop, Metzger said. Cameras, where they don't already exist, will be installed at the intersections to replace traffic sensors underneath the road.

Timing lights

Traffic signals between McGregor and Sage avenues were already pretty well timed, Metzger said, but the lights along Airport Boulevard on either side of that corridor currently run in complete isolation.

"If you manage to hit two lights in a row it's shear luck,"  he said.

Eventually, the system will allow the synchronized signals to work in concert and adapt to traffic conditions, Metzger said. For example, if there is a wreck causing vehicles to stack up on Airport, the signals will automatically adjust their timing to increase the green light cycles to relieve the congestion.

Metzger said the city would ultimately be able to expand the network and link all 300 or so of Mobile's signaled intersections into one coordinated grid.

Calametti said the project to improve the 15 intersections along Airport would cost about $290,000 and should be finished by the end of the summer.

Federal grant money is paying for most of the project, officials said.

Jennifer White, Metzger's successor, said that a traffic-engineering firm has also come up with a new timing formula for the lights that should help move traffic more efficiently on Airport. Gains will probably be incremental at best, though, she said.

"I wouldn't expect miracles. It's Airport Boulevard, and it's pretty much at capacity,"  she said.

Reconfiguration a must

In order to make significant improvements, the street must be reconfigured, White said.

The Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization is helping to fund a $200,000 project to see how that might be done, said Kevin Harrison, the organization's director.

Volkert & Associates Inc., an engineering consultant, is drawing up new configurations for intersections on Airport Boulevard from Snow Road to Government Street, including possible improvements at University Boulevard, Schillinger Road, McGregor and Sage avenues, said David Webber a vice president with the firm.

Over the next few months the firm will hold meetings with business owners, government traffic engineers and the general public so they can have input into which configurations they think will work best, Webber said.

Once the input is taken into consideration, Volkert will make recommendations as to which projects are appropriate to pursue, he said.

The firm decided to break the problems on Airport down by intersection in order to make the undertaking more financially feasible, Webber said.

It's unlikely that the city or ALDOT would be able to come up with $600 million to address the entire length of Airport Boulevard, he said, but they might be able to chip away at the problem in smaller chunks.

Harrison said that once the projects are chosen they would be added to the MPO's long-range plan so they can be eligible for federal funding.

Realistically, he said, it will probably be years before shovels hit the pavement. 

I-165 South (Mobile County, Alabama):




Be well,

Bryant

Resurrected service road headed for dead end? (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/04/resurrected_service_road_heade.html)

QuoteDAPHNE, Alabama – Two Baldwin County commissioners said they are ready for the controversial service road issue to be dead once and for all.

Nearly a year after commissioners voted to stop work on the project that would have connected Bass Pro Shops with the Eastern Shore Centre, the once-resurrected project appears to be headed for another dead end, officials said. Officials said the county had spent $700,000 on the project in planning, engineering and studies.

"If I need to I'll make the motion,"  said Commissioner Charles "Skip"  Gruber last week in an interview. "I'd like to keep permits in place to do watershed restoration work, but that road issue ought to be over with. We don't have the money for it, and Daphne does not want it. It's a dead issue."

Commissioner Tucker Dorsey said he would make the motion eliminating the project at the next regular meeting.

Commission Chairman Frank Burt said state and county officials are focused on Baldwin 83, also known as the Baldwin Beach Express, linking the Foley Beach Express to I-10. Money from a proposed interchange at Baldwin 13 shifted to the expressway project, and the county had no money to pursue the service road, Burt said.

Quote from: Bryant5493 on March 27, 2011, 08:33:14 AM
I-165 South (Mobile County, Alabama):

I found that intersection at the bottom of 165 to be a little tricky when I was there a couple weeks ago. I missed the turn for 90 west and had to double back .

Dead again...

Baldwin County Commission votes to end controversial service road project (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/04/commission_votes_to_end_contro.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Alabama -- A proposed Interstate 10 service road near TimberCreek subdivision in Daphne that created a firestorm of controversy over the past year is dead -- this time by a unanimous vote.

"I'll make a motion we officially drop the project, and have the county engineer withdraw the Corps of Engineers permit application without prejudice,"  said Commissioner Charles "Skip"  Gruber. "That way if it ever comes back there will have to be a public hearing about it."

The action came after a plea by TimberCreek resident Chester McConnell, an outspoken opponent of the proposed road who saw the project killed last year only to be revived in December.

"Many people are apprehensive because the permit is not withdrawn,"  McConnell told commissioners before the vote. "I ask that you end it."

County Engineer Cal Markert said he had no problem with the motion, and would gladly send a letter to the corps advising them of the action. He said he had not yet received a letter from the corps affirming that they had placed the application in inactive status as of March 28, but he expected one.

Commissioner Bob James suggested that the county also act to turn over maintenance of the entire length of Woodrow Lane to Daphne. The county retains jurisdiction over about 200 feet of the road not included in former annexations by Daphne. The road, located almost entirely inside Daphne's municipal limits, would have been extended to create the proposed service road joining retail centers at Bass Pro Shops and the Eastern Shore Centre -- both located in Spanish Fort's corporate limits.

McConnell said he was glad to see the county act to abandon the project he described as wasteful spending and environmentally harmful, calling their vote "courageous."

Another outspoken critic, TimberCreek resident Ian Walters said after the vote that he was pleased, but had lingering questions about the way the project was handled.

After the vote, service road opponent Daphne Councilman Gus Palumbo said, "I was glad to lead the fight and am gratified that the expensive "˜Road to Nowhere,' which would have benefited land developers to the detriment of the environment and extant homeowners, is now dead."

As for taking on maintenance of Woodrow Lane, he said Daphne officials would have to examine the benefits and liabilities of the action.

Baldwin County opens new $2.1 million 'Styx River Steel Bridge' (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/04/baldwin_county_opens_new_21_mi.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Alabama – The Baldwin County Highway Department has opened the new $2.1 million "Styx River Steel Bridge" on Baldwin County 68. The new 24-foot-wide span replaces the single-lane "Steel Bridge"  built in 1948.

The name of the new concrete structure standing 12 feet higher than the old metal bridge will remain "Styx River Steel Bridge"  – a moniker that suits the local residents, according to reports.

Orange Beach council supports Wolf Bay bridge; still no timeline for the project  (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/05/orange_beach_council_supports.html)

Traffic Engineers to hold meetings on how to fix Airport Boulevard (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/05/post_105.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama -- Traffic engineers this month will hold a pair of public meetings to get input on how best to fix chronic traffic snarls on Airport Boulevard.

Consultants with Volkert, an engineering consulting firm, have been drawing up ways to modify intersections along the notoriously congested thoroughfare in order to improve traffic flow, said Jennifer White, the city's traffic engineer.

Preliminary renderings of the designs are to be presented at the meetings, which will be held May 17 at Baker High School and May 19 at St. Pius X School. Both meetings begin at 5 p.m. and end at 7 p.m.

White said that the format will be informal with a number of stations set up so that people can come and go as they please.

Because the right of way on Airport Boulevard cannot easily be expanded to add lanes, she said, the engineers have been focusing on ways to rework the intersections, sometimes coming up with several alternatives for each one.

A few of the configurations on offer are likely to seem alien to Mobile drivers, she said.

One of them, called a single point interchange, would create an overpass over the intersection allowing through traffic to continue without stopping for a light.

Traffic engineers will take the input from the meetings into consideration when they narrow down the list of alternatives, White said. When the final alternatives are chosen, she said, they will hold another round of public-input meetings.

It could be years, however, until any of the intersections are reconfigured as the city will have to find a funding source, likely the federal government.

Federal road money is required to pass through the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization, which sets spending priorities in the area.

Quote from: Alex on May 09, 2011, 10:39:00 AM
how to fix Airport Boulevard

full freeway.  get rid of access to side streets.

Maybe do something like Memorial Pkwy in Huntsville with one-way service roads and overpasses at major intersections. There is not much additional right of way required to do that.

Quote from: codyg1985 on May 09, 2011, 12:02:07 PM
Maybe do something like Memorial Pkwy in Huntsville with one-way service roads and overpasses at major intersections. There is not much additional right of way required to do that.

The only way to really improve things, outside of the minimal benefits signal timing achieves, is to build a freeway within the median and convert the outside lanes to service roads a la Memorial Parkway in Huntsville (not that that would ever happen!) The article talks about adding lanes, but there is already a lengthy six-lane stretch of Airport Boulevard. The road has remained virtually unchanged (except for several traffic signal additions) since I first drove it in 1996. Traffic flow was bad on it then as well.

Better yet, they should build an elevated viaduct the way they did for US 6 in Omaha.  :-D

The biggest problem with Mobile traffic movements is that there are no high-speed east-west corridors. All routes from Interstate 65 to West Mobile consist of slow moving arterials with no access control. Alabama 158 to the north provides a faster route, but it requires traveling a good distance out of the way and there is no guarantee that the current rural frontage will remain as such.

I agree completely, but it's doubtful the work would ever get done...and even if it were, I'm sure my esteemed local government would find a way to frak it all up.  The way it stands now, there's probably enough room to do an elevated four-lane expressway separated by Jersey barriers, with on and off ramps going to the service roads, as far out as University Blvd.  The existing service roads would need to be converted to one-way, and a few gaps in them would need to be closed where they are currently occupied by banks, gas stations, and restaurants.

But that only takes care of half the problem.  The rest of the road all the way out to Schillinger is pretty awful as well, and lacks the pre-existing service roads that would make the eastern half relatively easy to do.  Considering how local businesses are whining about the aesthetic impact of the proposed Wallace Tunnel bypass, you can bet a fresh batch of NIMBYism will get in the way of this much-needed upgrade.

Adding traffic lights the mayor says? Seriously, how is that going to help traffic flow?  :pan:

U.S. 43 expansion has Creola mayor concerned (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/05/us_43_expansion_has_creola_may.html)

QuoteRepeated pleas from Creola officials have spurred construction plans for U.S. 43 near ThyssenKrupp's steel plant, according to Alabama Department of Transportation officials.

But Creola Mayor Don Nelson told the Press-Register that he wonders whether the changes aren't too little, too late.

Work on the Transportation Department's plan is slated to begin in November 2013, when the state highway will be widened from four to six lanes from where Interstate 65 pours into Creola and north to Axis, according to agency spokeswoman Rebecca White.

Said Nelson, "It's hard enough getting across two lanes. Gosh, in my opinion, you're just compounding the problem by adding more lanes."

The plan also calls for extending Jackson Road from its current end near the interstate to the Shell station on U.S. 43. At that new intersection, Nelson said, the Transportation Department will place a stop light.

Traffic grows with expansion

Nelson said that since ThyssenKrupp began building its steel plant in 2007, traffic in his city of about 2,000 people has grown exponentially. He has approached state transportation officials several times, urging changes to Creola's roadways and intersections.

Transportation Department records show that daily traffic in Creola remained nearly steady from 2006 to 2009, hovering at about 19,000 vehicles each day.

But in 2010, when the steel plant officially opened, traffic jumped to nearly 23,000 vehicles per day in the southernmost portion of Creola, and to more than 24,000 per day just north of Radcliff Road.

What Creola really needs, Nelson said, are traffic lights to manage all those extra cars and trucks.

The Transportation Department's plans include only one light at the new entrance to Jackson Road. As of now, other busy intersections, like the one at Radcliff Road or the current entrance of Jackson Road, aren't slated for lights, Nelson said.

At a recent meeting, Transportation Department officials agreed to study the roadway again to see if additional lights were warranted, Nelson said.

"Lights help break up the traffic,"  he said. "Could you imagine driving on Airport Boulevard with no lights? It's like that here."

U-Turn to get to Dollar General

To turn into the city's popular Dollar General store, a motorist must make a U-turn, Nelson said. "If you put a light at Radcliff Road,"  the mayor said, "that would help people get into the parking lot."

Nelson on a recent afternoon pointed to a makeshift cross in the median that divides U.S. 43 by Jackson Road. He said that perhaps a light would have prevented at least one man's death.

"One wreck is too many,"  Nelson said. "And if this continues, we're going to have a bad situation."

He said, "I've been told that traffic lights cause accidents. But speeding causes accidents, too, and I feel like lights will help slow people down."

Several attempts to reach Creola Police Chief Jerry Taylor to ascertain the number of wrecks on U.S. 43 each year were unsuccessful.

"People get out of work and they want to get home,"  Nelson said. "They get antsy and they get reckless."

He said, "This is probably one of the busiest state highways, and it will only get busier."  

The analogy to Airport Blvd is a bit of an apples-and-oranges comparison.

About Airport Blvd., yes it would be great to do things to improve the traffic flow of it.  And a few things to alleviate traffic would be great.  But let's relax a bit before we turn the road into a all out freeway (or practically an interstate) like some of these posts have said.  This is the most lucrative road in Mobile.  It's one big giant business magnet and the lifeblood of Mobile.  No other road in the city can attract business like it can.  Let's think before we risk killing all of the businesses on it.  Having a traffic light here and a traffic light there is what helps create the big intersections (Schillinger Rd.?, University Blvd.?, Azaela/McGregor?) that most of these business on located at.  I like the idea that one of the posts had; to reduce the amount of several of traffic lights at  intersections that are not big and shrinking the amount of lights to mostly just the big intersections. 

I'm all for more traffic lights in Creola.  However, I don't get the Creola mayor's oppostion to more lanes on U.S. 43.  It's a huge sign of progress; it's not as if there is a ton of businesses there to begin with to turn into.  All of this over a Dollar General?  Just be thankful there are more vehicles stopping through your town and possibly spending money and maybe one day attracting some real businesses.  He clearly isn't familiar with real traffic.  I live nearby in Saraland and we have far more lights, and at least three Dollar General's.  Creola's mayor should have considered driving down Alabama 158 around oh let's say 5PM and gotten a little perspective on that.

QuoteHaving a traffic light here and a traffic light there is what helps create the big intersections (Schillinger Rd.?, University Blvd.?, Azaela/McGregor?) that most of these business on located at.

It also helps create additional traffic that overwhelms whatever road improvements were made to begin with, and is a semi-direct cause of congestion and accidents, *ESPECIALLY* if those businesses have direct access to the roadway.  It's a never-ending downward spiral.

QuoteHowever, I don't get the Creola mayor's oppostion to more lanes on U.S. 43.  It's a huge sign of progress; it's not as if there is a ton of businesses there to begin with to turn into.

I don't know if I'd call traffic congestion a "huge sign of progress".

I can definitely understand the mayor's opposition to more lanes.  It's a safety issue at those intersections that do not have traffic signals.

Quote from: roadwarrior on May 11, 2011, 03:36:49 AM
About Airport Blvd., yes it would be great to do things to improve the traffic flow of it.  And a few things to alleviate traffic would be great.  But let's relax a bit before we turn the road into a all out freeway (or practically an interstate) like some of these posts have said.  This is the most lucrative road in Mobile.  It's one big giant business magnet and the lifeblood of Mobile.  No other road in the city can attract business like it can.  Let's think before we risk killing all of the businesses on it.  Having a traffic light here and a traffic light there is what helps create the big intersections (Schillinger Rd.?, University Blvd.?, Azaela/McGregor?) that most of these business on located at.  I like the idea that one of the posts had; to reduce the amount of several of traffic lights at  intersections that are not big and shrinking the amount of lights to mostly just the big intersections. 

I'm all for more traffic lights in Creola.  However, I don't get the Creola mayor's oppostion to more lanes on U.S. 43.  It's a huge sign of progress; it's not as if there is a ton of businesses there to begin with to turn into.  All of this over a Dollar General?  Just be thankful there are more vehicles stopping through your town and possibly spending money and maybe one day attracting some real businesses.  He clearly isn't familiar with real traffic.  I live nearby in Saraland and we have far more lights, and at least three Dollar General's.  Creola's mayor should have considered driving down Alabama 158 around oh let's say 5PM and gotten a little perspective on that.

Actually my "convert Airport to an elevated freeway" concept is purely a joke. In actuality, access control and signal management is about all that can be done. The biggest problem is that the frontage road system directly ties into several of the signals, mandating an additional phase to each traffic signal cycle. That should be managed better. Secondly they should have removed the opposite loop ramps from the interchange with I-65, not the on-ramps. Too little too late now, but had they, the signals there would only govern the on-ramps, resulting in half cycles instead of full blown ones (I think of US 17A at I-26 in Summerville, SC, which is a similar junction between two busy roads).

There was a mention of adding a SPUI to Airport Boulevard, and I imagine that is what they would do at Airport Boulevard and Schillinger Road. A SPUI would not really benefit here IMO, because you have adjacent signals in all directions. So one corridor gets to pass over one another only to stop at the adjacent intersection. A lack of zoning and planning is the culprit to the woes here. One thing they did that was right though however was to eliminate the split-phase signal for Schillinger Road travelers. Split-phase should never be used between two arterials!

As for Airport, the hey day of the strip as the premier commercial corridor is certainly over. Look at how disparate the economic future of the Festival Center is. See how Springdale Mall died and is now a glorified big box retail center. Continue further west and note large swaths of empty parking lots. Meanwhile drive on Schillinger Road and see all the newer shopping centers and how busy they are. This is why Mobile rushed to annex those, because their sales tax base kept shifting west to outside the city line.

You can't think of the economic market of Mobile without considering Wal-Mart. They are definitely the retail center of Mobile, and the chain has taken its toll on other retails markedly. There is now a Wal-Mart at Leroy Stevens and Cottage Hill Roads, an area previously reserved for just residential and small scale business (like Dollar General or Circle K) for instance. If they are not already, they need to assess impact fees to the retail giant, as their stores generate such a large amount of traffic (think of US 98 at Schillinger Road, Beltline Highway, Rangeline Road north of I-10, etc...).

---

Thinking about the Creola situation, access management is key, and I disagree with the Mayor in that having to U-turn to reach their Dollar General is unacceptable. Eliminating cross-traffic for U-turn lanes is a better way than opening up every stretch to a new at-grade, or even worse, a new traffic light. If things are that bad through Creola, a new expressway alignment to US 43 northward should be considered. There is land to the east that is vastly undeveloped.

Changes to Airport Boulevard could be dramatic (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/05/changes_to_airport_boulevard_c.html)

QuoteTraffic engineers on Tuesday laid out dozens of dramatic Airport Boulevard intersection overhauls during a Tuesday meeting with Mobile City Council members, but some of the alternatives in the offing could pit the interests of motorists against those of commercial property owners. (Press-Register/Mark R. Kent)

MOBILE, Alabama -- Traffic engineers on Tuesday laid out dozens of dramatic Airport Boulevard intersection overhauls during a Tuesday meeting with Mobile City Council members, but some of the alternatives in the offing could pit the interests of motorists against those of commercial property owners.

A previous, less ambitious, effort to address the traffic-snarled roadway raised similar tensions and was ultimately scuttled after loud complaints from the business sector.

The latest move stems from a simple but nevertheless difficult question: How do you improve the traffic capacity on Airport Boulevard between Snow Road and The Loop without adding lanes, which would require the purchase of massive amounts of private property?

The Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization hired Volkert & Associates, a consulting firm, to find answers.

Conceptual drawings shown to the council on Tuesday included everything from clover-leaf-shaped interchanges to exotic, multilevel interchanges, some of which have only been tried a handful of times elsewhere.

The least-disruptive plan for most of the intersections was a single-point interchange, a type of overpass that would allow traffic on airport to continue without stopping, while cross-street traffic passed underneath.

Previous effort at Airport Boulevard reform went nowhere

A series of those interchanges could conceivably allow a driver on Airport to travel from Sage Avenue to University with few stops, if any.

David Webber, a Volkert vice president, acknowledged that some of the intersection configurations would improve traffic flow at the expense of some businesses. However, he said, if Airport Boulevard wasn't perceived as such a traffic headache, more people might consider shopping at the businesses that line the street.

Mobile's previous traffic engineer, Bill Metzger, has said, he once tried to convert Airport's service roads into one-way streets in order to improve the timing of traffic lights, but property and business owners rebelled, fearing reduced access to their establishments.

The effort was eventually scrapped.

Jennifer White, the city's current traffic chief, declined to release digital renderings of the latest proposals until after a pair of upcoming public input meetings. Some of the interchange designs are so complicated that members of the public should have an opportunity to hear them explained by an expert before they are distributed, she said.

The first meeting will be held May 17 at Baker High School, the second on May 19 at St. Pius X School. Both meetings begin at 5 p.m. and end at 7 p.m.

The $200,000 tab for Volkert's study was picked up largely by the federal government, with the city of Mobile and Mobile County chipping in $20,000 each, White said.

Actually implementing a final plan will likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars, Webber said.

Attacking such an undertaking all at once would cost more money than the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which controls federal money, would be likely to pony up for any single project.

Even if it did, the city probably couldn't afford a 20 percent matching requirement.

By focusing on one stretch at a time, the project could be feasible, Webber said.

One thing about Memorial Pkwy in Huntsville, which implements single-point interchanges with one-way frontage roads, is that there are some businesses that go out of business along the upgraded sections of the parkway. It is concieveable that a similar situation would occur along Airport Blvd, but at the same time much of Memorial Pkwy in Huntsville passes through lower income areas, and those areas are where more businesses have left.

If the businesses work together with the planners to implement a workable solution for business access, then I don't see why businesses would be hurt by this.

Quote from: Alex on May 11, 2011, 08:42:32 AM
Thinking about the Creola situation, access management is key, and I disagree with the Mayor in that having to U-turn to reach their Dollar General is unacceptable. Eliminating cross-traffic for U-turn lanes is a better way than opening up every stretch to a new at-grade, or even worse, a new traffic light. If things are that bad through Creola, a new expressway alignment to US 43 northward should be considered. There is land to the east that is vastly undeveloped.

An intermediate solution would be backage roads with no direct access from US 43 into the parking lot.

Quote from: froggie on May 11, 2011, 06:40:24 AM

QuoteHaving a traffic light here and a traffic light there is what helps create the big intersections (Schillinger Rd.?, University Blvd.?, Azaela/McGregor?) that most of these business on located at.

It also helps create additional traffic that overwhelms whatever road improvements were made to begin with, and is a semi-direct cause of congestion and accidents, *ESPECIALLY* if those businesses have direct access to the roadway.  It's a never-ending downward spiral.

QuoteHowever, I don't get the Creola mayor's oppostion to more lanes on U.S. 43.  It's a huge sign of progress; it's not as if there is a ton of businesses there to begin with to turn into.

I don't know if I'd call traffic congestion a "huge sign of progress".

I can definitely understand the mayor's opposition to more lanes.  It's a safety issue at those intersections that do not have traffic signals.

That is true that it can create additional traffic as you say and I would love to see an attempt to at least streamline some of it or take pressure off the road and its intersections in some way but the truth is that businesses are located at these intersections primarily because of the "overwhelming traffic" and would be ignored by drivers if the road was to remove all or most of the intersections.  And without the businesses on this road the traffic would start to disappear, thus defeating the purpose of the supposed improvement.  (Let's be honest, most people don't drive on Airport Blvd. to get to the airport.)  I've seen the same thing happen to I-165's effect on Telegraph Rd., Wilson Ave., and MLK Blvd.  Traffic has drastically decreased on those roads where they already are economically depressed. 

As for Creola, I don't know that I would call adding new lanes in a tiny city that really only has a few gas stations and a Dollar General "a traffic congestion".  If anything that would alleviate much of a possible bottleneck on the road.  This is not a massively busy city (unlike Airport Blvd. in Mobile) and it needs to attract businesses to build up jobs and tax revenue.  More vehicles in Creola is largely a good thing.  I think a light or improvement that keeps them from having to make U-turns would be great for the Dollar General. 

Quote from: Alex on May 11, 2011, 08:42:32 AM

Quote from: roadwarrior on May 11, 2011, 03:36:49 AM
About Airport Blvd., yes it would be great to do things to improve the traffic flow of it.  And a few things to alleviate traffic would be great.  But let's relax a bit before we turn the road into a all out freeway (or practically an interstate) like some of these posts have said.  This is the most lucrative road in Mobile.  It's one big giant business magnet and the lifeblood of Mobile.  No other road in the city can attract business like it can.  Let's think before we risk killing all of the businesses on it.  Having a traffic light here and a traffic light there is what helps create the big intersections (Schillinger Rd.?, University Blvd.?, Azaela/McGregor?) that most of these business on located at.  I like the idea that one of the posts had; to reduce the amount of several of traffic lights at  intersections that are not big and shrinking the amount of lights to mostly just the big intersections.  

I'm all for more traffic lights in Creola.  However, I don't get the Creola mayor's oppostion to more lanes on U.S. 43.  It's a huge sign of progress; it's not as if there is a ton of businesses there to begin with to turn into.  All of this over a Dollar General?  Just be thankful there are more vehicles stopping through your town and possibly spending money and maybe one day attracting some real businesses.  He clearly isn't familiar with real traffic.  I live nearby in Saraland and we have far more lights, and at least three Dollar General's.  Creola's mayor should have considered driving down Alabama 158 around oh let's say 5PM and gotten a little perspective on that.

Actually my "convert Airport to an elevated freeway" concept is purely a joke. In actuality, access control and signal management is about all that can be done. The biggest problem is that the frontage road system directly ties into several of the signals, mandating an additional phase to each traffic signal cycle. That should be managed better. Secondly they should have removed the opposite loop ramps from the interchange with I-65, not the on-ramps. Too little too late now, but had they, the signals there would only govern the on-ramps, resulting in half cycles instead of full blown ones (I think of US 17A at I-26 in Summerville, SC, which is a similar junction between two busy roads).

There was a mention of adding a SPUI to Airport Boulevard, and I imagine that is what they would do at Airport Boulevard and Schillinger Road. A SPUI would not really benefit here IMO, because you have adjacent signals in all directions. So one corridor gets to pass over one another only to stop at the adjacent intersection. A lack of zoning and planning is the culprit to the woes here. One thing they did that was right though however was to eliminate the split-phase signal for Schillinger Road travelers. Split-phase should never be used between two arterials!

As for Airport, the hey day of the strip as the premier commercial corridor is certainly over. Look at how disparate the economic future of the Festival Center is. See how Springdale Mall died and is now a glorified big box retail center. Continue further west and note large swaths of empty parking lots. Meanwhile drive on Schillinger Road and see all the newer shopping centers and how busy they are. This is why Mobile rushed to annex those, because their sales tax base kept shifting west to outside the city line.

You can't think of the economic market of Mobile without considering Wal-Mart. They are definitely the retail center of Mobile, and the chain has taken its toll on other retails markedly. There is now a Wal-Mart at Leroy Stevens and Cottage Hill Roads, an area previously reserved for just residential and small scale business (like Dollar General or Circle K) for instance. If they are not already, they need to assess impact fees to the retail giant, as their stores generate such a large amount of traffic (think of US 98 at Schillinger Road, Beltline Highway, Rangeline Road north of I-10, etc...).

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Thinking about the Creola situation, access management is key, and I disagree with the Mayor in that having to U-turn to reach their Dollar General is unacceptable. Eliminating cross-traffic for U-turn lanes is a better way than opening up every stretch to a new at-grade, or even worse, a new traffic light. If things are that bad through Creola, a new expressway alignment to US 43 northward should be considered. There is land to the east that is vastly undeveloped.

Your assertion that the heydays of Airport Blvd. as the premier commercial corridor are over is ridiculous.  Two badly run shopping centers (Springdale and Festival Centre) do not qualify as justification of it.  One ride down the road will cause you to see that practically anything that faces Airport Blvd. is full.  Springdale has fallen off because of bad management (most small stores were the same ones found in Bel Air Mall, closed in malls are falling out of popularity in business, and back in the 90s when half of the mall was closed in order to expand the movie theater), not to mention the loss of Mobile native store Gayfers, which was why everyone went there in the first place.  Even since, the center has mostly maintained to fill most of itself that faced Airport Blvd.  Same with the Festival Centre, the only parts that have died are not facing the road.  They even managed to create a new strip of the center facing Airport Blvd. that is anchored by Guitar Center and almost immediately has filled all of its spaces.  

Your point about Schillinger Road retail simply ignores the fact that it exists soley because of an intersection with Airport Blvd.  It is an outgrowth of Airport Blvd. retail.  Airport Blvd. is swamped with retail from Sage Ave. all of the way to at least Schillinger and Snow Rd.  Growth didn't suddenly appear out west; it slowly grew further and further west out Airport Blvd. until it reached those areas and then spilled out onto their roads.  Most of these big intersections with Airport (Schillinger, Hillcrest, University) started with centers on each corner and spread up and down these roads that cross Airport.  Businesses then started to then trickle even further west on Airport Blvd.  Your point about Wal-Mart makes my point.  The most successful Wal-Mart's are attatched to Airport Blvd. intersections (behind Springdale and a location built in a lot located directly behind the original that faced Airport Blvd.  They even briefly considered building a location next to Providence Hospital.  There are at least 4 Starbucks and two locations of several restaurants and businesses along side this road.  No other new area in Mobile has even begun to come close to it.  That's why I say it is important to be careful to not be too radical in how we change this road because it is clearly the lifeblood of the city.

Quote from: roadwarrior on May 12, 2011, 06:23:36 PM

Your assertion that the heydays of Airport Blvd. as the premier commercial corridor are over is ridiculous.  Two badly run shopping centers (Springdale and Festival Centre) do not qualify as justification of it.  One ride down the road will cause you to see that practically anything that faces Airport Blvd. is full.  Springdale has fallen off because of bad management (most small stores were the same ones found in Bel Air Mall, closed in malls are falling out of popularity in business, and back in the 90s when half of the mall was closed in order to expand the movie theater), not to mention the loss of Mobile native store Gayfers, which was why everyone went there in the first place.  Even since, the center has mostly maintained to fill most of itself that faced Airport Blvd.  Same with the Festival Centre, the only parts that have died are not facing the road.  They even managed to create a new strip of the center facing Airport Blvd. that is anchored by Guitar Center and almost immediately has filled all of its spaces.  

Your point about Schillinger Road retail simply ignores the fact that it exists soley because of an intersection with Airport Blvd.  It is an outgrowth of Airport Blvd. retail.  Airport Blvd. is swamped with retail from Sage Ave. all of the way to at least Schillinger and Snow Rd.  Growth didn't suddenly appear out west; it slowly grew further and further west out Airport Blvd. until it reached those areas and then spilled out onto their roads.  Most of these big intersections with Airport (Schillinger, Hillcrest, University) started with centers on each corner and spread up and down these roads that cross Airport.  Businesses then started to then trickle even further west on Airport Blvd.  Your point about Wal-Mart makes my point.  The most successful Wal-Mart's are attatched to Airport Blvd. intersections (behind Springdale and a location built in a lot located directly behind the original that faced Airport Blvd.  They even briefly considered building a location next to Providence Hospital.  There are at least 4 Starbucks and two locations of several restaurants and businesses along side this road.  No other new area in Mobile has even begun to come close to it.  That's why I say it is important to be careful to not be too radical in how we change this road because it is clearly the lifeblood of the city.

Nice to see some interest in Mobile area road discussion for a change... While I appreciate your thoughts, I also think that your assessment of my assessment being ridiculous is a little over the top. This is a not a retail discussion thread though, so I will focus on your end point. East-west traffic has never been adequately addressed by the city of Mobile, ALDOT, Mobile County, etc. "Lifeblood" of the city or not, improvements on Airport Boulevard are not going to make much of a difference because of the poor design of the road and lack of cohesive development. The road was clogged in 1996 and is clogged now. It will always be clogged.//

Baldwin County 44 bridge reopens (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/05/baldwin_county_44_bridge_reope.html)

QuoteFAIRHOPE, Alabama -- The Baldwin County Highway Department has completed the construction for the county road 44 bridge over Cowpen Creek and it is now open to public traffic.
baldwincounty.jpg

The original Baldwin County 44 Bridge was built in 1968 and was replaced due to multiple structural deficiencies, according to a news release from the Baldwin County Highway Department. Work began in January to repair the bridge for the safety of the residents who crossed it daily, the release stated.

The old bridge has now been replaced with a large culvert, which will save the county money on maintaining the structure. The new bridge will also help save much-needed travel time for the nearly 3,500 drivers whose vehicles cross the bridge daily to reach surrounding schools and subdivisions, according to the release.

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Magnolia Springs studying ways to slow down Baldwin 49 traffic (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/05/magnolia_springs_studying_ways.html)

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Mobile drivers appear to adjust to 2-way traffic on St. Francis Street (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/05/st_francis_street_parking_conf.html)

QuoteIt took time, but it appears that motorists are starting to get used to the two-way conversion of St. Francis Street in downtown Mobile.

The official conversion took place April 19, but cars continued to be towed away because drivers had parked them on the south side of the street.

Few show for meeting on how to improve traffic flow on Airport Boulevard (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/05/few_show_for_airport_boulevard.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama -- Despite some proposed alterations to Airport Boulevard that can only be described as radical, only a handful of residents showed Tuesday at a community involvement meeting meant to sound out local sentiment on how best to improve traffic on the street.

The meeting, held at Baker High School, was mostly informal, with traffic engineers set up in stations to explain the different options under consideration.

Those who did attend were largely positive about the offerings laid out by traffic engineers from Volkert and Associates Inc., the consulting firm that has been studying how to add capacity to Airport without taking up more right of way.

The consensus among traffic officials is that Airport Boulevard cannot practically be made any wider, so the challenge is to move traffic more efficiently in the lanes that are already there.

One of Volkert's plans calls for reconfiguring the major intersections between Snow Road and Sage Avenue so that, rather get stuck lengthy stop lights, the center lanes would pass over the cross streets unabated by way of short bridges.

Some of the reconfigurations have the potential to pit the interests of through traffic against those of commercial property owners, which have scuttled previous reform efforts.

Jennifer White, the city's traffic engineer, said that one commercial property owner came to the meeting, but he was more curious than angry.

David Webber, an executive with Volkert, said that he met previously with developers and commercial real-estate brokers in an effort to sell them on the idea.

They were largely receptive, he said. A second meeting is scheduled for Thursday at St. Pius X School and will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Under the best circumstances, White said, it would take more than three years before shovels hit the dirt, and that's assuming there was funding available. More likely it will take several more years just to find some money to get started, she said.

The public meetings, though, are the first step in the process, she said.

Road to Mobile this afternoon. A couple of notes:

Construction for "slide corrections" is still ongoing along Interstate 10 around milepost 60. Speed limits still 50, everyone still going 65-75...


(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/AL/AL19700102i2.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/AL/AL19700102i2.jpg)

She's Dead Jim. The last original button copy highway shield/sign combo in South Alabama is gone. Carbon copied with a Clearview-based sign.  :angry:

Five-laning of Old Shell Road from Schillinger Road east to Hillcrest Road is finally done. The configuration is identical to the Cottage Hill Road five-laning of the mid-2000s, complete with a french drain down the middle.

The now combined intersection of Alverson Road and McKinley Avenue with Old Shell Road is indeed signalized. All signals between Schillinger and Hillcrest Roads are supported on mast-arms.

wait, by "carbon copied", you mean it still says Pascagoula!!??  Despite the fact that freeway I-10 never went there, and the temporary US-90 routing of I-10 stopped going there in 1972?  :pan:

gosh, even California doesn't put up "I-5 Bakersfield" signs anymore.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 25, 2011, 08:46:59 PM
wait, by "carbon copied", you mean it still says Pascagoula!!??  Despite the fact that freeway I-10 never went there, and the temporary US-90 routing of I-10 stopped going there in 1972?  :pan:

gosh, even California doesn't put up "I-5 Bakersfield" signs anymore.

Yes, Pascagoula in crisp Clearview letters! It is up to Mississippi to request Alabama change their signs to Biloxi or Gulfport.

New four-lane Alabama 181 could open this week (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/07/new_four-lane_ala_181_could_op.html)

QuoteDAPHNE, Alabama -- A four-lane widening of part of Ala. 181 that began two years ago could be finished within three weeks, if rains or other delays don't interfere, said Vince Calametti, director of the Mobile office of the Alabama Department of Transportation.

After opening up the four lanes to traffic late this week, crews will take another two weeks or so to finish work on shoulders and driveways then stripe the road, he said.

"It's a hot topic. I've gotten a lot of calls from people wanting to know when it will be completed,"  Calametti said last week.

The $12.7 million project – to widen a stretch of 181 from just south of U.S. 90 to Baldwin County 64 in Daphne to four lanes – began in June of 2009. The contractor, Mobile Asphalt Co., had two years to complete the work, beyond which the company would be fined $2,600 per day, said Matt Erikson, assistant division engineer.

Some officials originally predicted – optimistically – that it would be done by December 2010.

"They always had two years to do it, though,"  Erikson said.

Calametti said the final completion date has moved forward dozens of times due to rain and other weather conditions, so that the contractor "has not hit damages yet and they probably won't."

The project was originally to be the first of a larger planned three-phase undertaking to widen a 15-mile stretch of the highway – from U.S. 31 in Spanish Fort to U.S. 98 west of Weeks Bay – to four lanes.

A lack of state and federal highway funding has delayed the other two phases indefinitely, he said. The second phase – from Baldwin County 64 south to Ala. 104 in Fairhope – was originally scheduled to have begun at the start of this year. The third phase would have continued the project south to U.S. 98. In earlier interviews, transportation officials said the entire project was expected to cost about $62 million.

I-65 repaving set to begin in August, last 15 months:

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/07/i-65_repaving_set_to_begin_in.html (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/07/i-65_repaving_set_to_begin_in.html)

I hope that the November 2012 completion date is a typo.

Noted new mast-arm signal installations at the intersection of Old Shell Road and the entrance to the University of South Alabama Mitchell Center today. Also noticed several replaced signals throughout Mobile, such as those at Old Shell and Hillcrest Road.

The completed Old Shell Road resulted in the permanent closure of Dickens Ferry Road between Foreman Road and Old Shell itself. The road simply dead ends just beyond its former split.

(https://www.aaroads.com/queue/cache/forum-images/dsc_0026_w1000_h669.jpg) (https://www.aaroads.com/queue/cache/forum-images/dsc_0026_w1000_h669.jpg)

Had to make a special stop for this, the Clearview overhead that killed the last button copy Interstate 10 sign in Alabama. Oddly, they retained the original lighting fixtures (usually those are removed with a sign is replaced in Alabama).

And it STILL says "Pascagoula".  :sombrero:

Traffic light study approved for U.S. 98, Baldwin County Road 91 (http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2011/08/02/local_news/doc4e37f65f3542b077520369.txt)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Ala. – A traffic light study has been endorsed by the Baldwin County Commission to determine if signals are needed at U.S. Highway 98 and County Road 91.

If the study indicates the signals are needed, the $100,000 installation cost will be shared by the Baldwin County Commission and the Alabama Department of Transportation.

County Maintenance Engineer Frank Lundy said county residents have requested the signal on the state right-of-way road maintained by the state.

The study will include traffic counts, analyzing turning movements and reviewing accident history, Lundy said.

According to county records, the normal cost for installing a traffic signal south of Interstate 10 is $100,000 because mast arms are required.

"Once this data is collected and studied, a determination will be made as to whether a signal is actually warranted,"  Lundy said.

Feds award $4 million for improvements to I-10 corridor in Mobile, Baldwin counties (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/08/feds_award_4_million_for_impro.html)

QuoteWASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced $4 million in grants to improve stretches of Interstate 10 in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

The grants, $2 million each for 2 projects, represent the bulk of the $5.4 federal roads allocation announced for Alabama.

According to federal and state transportation officials, the projects entail:

    * Resurfacing of I-10 from about 1 mile west of the Interstate 65 interchange to the Water Street exit in Mobile.
    * Widening of the westbound I-10 bridge, as well as resurfacing of the interstate from the eastern end of the Bayway bridge to near the Ala. 59 exit north of Loxley in Baldwin County.

"Interstate 10 is one of America's most important east-west interstate corridors," said Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris. "You need to do maintenance on it in order to keep it in good, reliable condition."

Harris said the work will cost well above the $2 million in grants made available for each project Wednesday. The Mobile-area project is estimated to cost $22.4 million; the Baldwin work is expected to total about $15.5 million.

The department will need more federal money to undertake the work and cannot give estimates on when the projects might start or finish until more is known about available funding, according to Harris.

A news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday said the $5.4 million in grants to Alabama will help fund repairs to "the state's 2 highest-priority road projects," as well as provide much-needed jobs.

"Transportation investments like these will create jobs and improve the quality of life for Alabama residents as well as strengthen the state's economy," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a written statement. "The demand from the states for these funds shows just how critical the need is for infrastructure investment."

Federal government forcing Mobile to redesign Zeigler Boulevard to accommodate cycling (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/09/mobile_to_redesign_ziegler_bou.html)

QuotePreliminary plans for the project, which would widen Zeigler Boulevard in two phases from Forest Hill Drive to Schillinger Road, have been on the books since the early 2000s.

The city had opted not to include bike lanes, even though its own green-space plan calls for such lanes along much of the section of Zeigler Boulevard that's set to be overhauled.

QuoteAmberger said the project was estimated to cost about $11 million for each phase. Adding the bike lanes could increase that by 10 percent, he said.

The federal government is responsible for 80 percent of the total cost, while Mobile must provide a 20 percent match, he said.

Had the Highway Administration not rejected the environmental document, construction crews might have been able to start work in late 2013, according to Don Powell, planning engineer for the Mobile division of the Alabama Department of Transportation.

There was a 15-mile backup along Interstate 10 west from Exit 44 to Exit 30, so we opted to take alternate routes including County Road 64 to County Road 83 to view progress of the Baldwin Beach Express construction.

(https://www.aaroads.com/queue/cache/forum-images/img_3043_595.jpg)

Four-laning well underway along County Road 83 southward from the new alignment linking CR 83 to CR 64.

(https://www.aaroads.com/queue/cache/forum-images/img_3052_595.jpg)

Stopped on County Road 64 and looked south at the new alignment of the Baldwin Beach Express. Pavement is already down for the future southbound carriageway, grading is underway for the northbound roadway. No work was present north of County Road 64.

This is the first I have heard of this proposal and I do not know if it is directly related to the often talked about Mobile to Florence, Alabama freeway proposal. Seems to be something entirely different...

300-mile road to start in Orange Beach? Not exactly (http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2011/09/21/local_news/doc4e78df36cf582335706377.txt)

QuoteORANGE BEACH, AL. -- A York, Pa., company issued a release today announcing the plans to build a new "300-mile rail and road transportation complex from the vicinity of Orange Beach to the Tennessee state line."

The company's release also says "the unprecedented project will begin development in the fall of 2012 with the construction of a four-lane limited access toll road from Orange Beach, Ala., to the area of Loretto, Tenn."

Well, not exactly.

While the Island was abuzz for a while Tuesday morning after the release, the actual southern end of the ambitious project is slated to be in Mobile.

"It's definitely going to be in the port of Mobile,"  spokesperson Amanda Flontek of Ameri-Metro said via phone Tuesday morning. "It will be three hundred miles of road. It's going to go from the port, Mobile, to the top of Alabama."

The entire project is reported to cost $7 billion, all privately funded, according the company's release.

Ameri-Metro is partnering with Alabama Toll Facilities, a private company that Ameri-Metro president Shah Mathias says is a nonprofit, formed in Cullman in 1993 which and also received a resolution of support from the state legislature for this project in 2007.

"The president of the company has been working on this for about eight years now and in the last two years it's really gotten into the development phase where they are getting all the engineering and everything behind it and funding,"  Flontek said. "Right now we're working with the Black Belt Commission and the Economic Development Association to get the land and they're kind of telling us where the road can go."

Mathias said today the project will be completely privately funded and will go back to the state "for no consideration"  once the debt is paid.

It is also much more than a road, the company release said. According to the release, "in 2014, Ameri-Metro will begin construction of an inland port in central Alabama, consisting of a 4,000-acre site and 19-million square feet of storage space. In addition, the project will include the nation's largest freight and passenger airport, including four 18,000-foot runways to accommodate both Boeing Dream Liners and A380 airbuses. At present, no other airport in the nation provides such an extensive runway system."

Mathias also said the inland port will include the "Grand Central Station of the South — a 60,000-square-foot passenger and freight train station, with a complex including a 100,000-square-foot evacuation center and a fire, police, and ambulance station. The French Victorian structure will include boutique shops and a luxury hotel."

^ I think I smell a rat. Where is the demand for the "Grand Central Station of the South"? Also, why are 18,000 ft runways needed? Are they landing the Space Shuttle? For what it's worth, here is their website: http://ameri-metro.com/. The Alabama project can be found here: http://ameri-metro.com/projects/current-projects

I guess it would be related to the West Alabama Freeway/Tollway that has been proposed for decades. Still, I don't see what use this would have, especially at the northern end, if all of a sudden once you cross into Tennessee you are dumped onto what I assume would be US 43. To work I believe it would need to go farther north and end at either I-65, I-24, or even I-57.

I wonder why this isn't proposed for more heavily traveled corridors, such as I-70 in the midwest or I-81.

Robertsdale to address Alabama 59 naming (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/09/robertsdale_to_address_ala_59.html)

QuoteROBERTSDALE, Alabama – City officials want to address problems with street names and numbers that have been confusing residents and visitors on Ala. 59 for more than 20 years.

City Council members said Monday that they plan to discuss a system to name the two sections of the highway to establish where businesses are located on the northbound or southbound section of the road.

Between Illinois Street to the north and Hammond Street to the south, Ala. 59 splits into two sections of two-lane highway about one block apart as the road extends through downtown Robertsdale. The highway was divided when Ala. 59 was widened to four lanes in the 1980s, Greg Smith, city engineer, said.

The northbound lanes were extended along what had been a section of Chicago Street. The southbound lanes and the rest of Ala. 59 are on what is designated Milwaukee Street.

A check of addresses along the highway found that property owners use a variety of street names, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Alabama Highway 59, Highway 59 or just 59, said David Kilcrease, city building inspector, zoning enforcement officer and safety coordinator.

"It would clarify, just to do north and south, it would just make it more easy just for advertising purposes for people who are advertising," Kilcrease said. "We just want to try to clear it up."

Using north and south designations, however, could confuse drivers, Police Chief Brad Kendrick said. He said people looking for locations might think that Ala. 59 South addresses are south of Ala. 104 or another major street.

"I would suggest if you're going to do 59, I would put northbound or southbound and that way you would know it would be where the split's located. It seems like to me that would be easier, but I know that's going to make a long sign also," Kendrick said. "If it said 59 Northbound, you would know that you would be on the old Chicago Street and if it was 59 Southbound, you would know you would be on Milwaukee."

Another possible solution would be to use the Chicago Street designation for northbound traffic and to use Ala. 59 for southbound addresses and the rest of the highway through the city, officials said.

Mayor Charles Murphy said the council would discuss addressing plans at the city's next work session on Oct. 3.

Quote from: codyg1985 on September 21, 2011, 10:27:32 AM
^ I think I smell a rat. Where is the demand for the "Grand Central Station of the South"? Also, why are 18,000 ft runways needed? Are they landing the Space Shuttle? For what it's worth, here is their website: http://ameri-metro.com/. The Alabama project can be found here: http://ameri-metro.com/projects/current-projects

I guess it would be related to the West Alabama Freeway/Tollway that has been proposed for decades. Still, I don't see what use this would have, especially at the northern end, if all of a sudden once you cross into Tennessee you are dumped onto what I assume would be US 43. To work I believe it would need to go farther north and end at either I-65, I-24, or even I-57.

I wonder why this isn't proposed for more heavily traveled corridors, such as I-70 in the midwest or I-81.

Another article on the proposed highway/rail line surfaced this morning. Work to start next year with a completion in five years, what are they smoking?  :hmmm:

Toll road leader says $7 billion project won't need public money (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/09/toll_road_leader_says_7_billio.html)

QuoteMathias said the corridor would roughly parallel U.S. 43 through the west side of the state. Highway improvements along that general route had previously been touted as a way to jump-start the economy of depressed rural counties.

Ameri-Metro said it would start work next year and complete the route within five years.

Mathias said the key to the strategy is a giant airport and inland port that will build enough traffic to pay for the road. The company would fund the project by selling bonds, then operate the route until the bonds were paid off and hand it over to the state, he said.

"We are not asking for the federal government, the state or anybody else to give us any money,"  Mathias said.

He said the toll levels would be set later.

QuoteMathias said the corridor would roughly parallel U.S. 43 through the west side of the state.

QuoteMathias said the key to the strategy is a giant airport and inland port that will build enough traffic to pay for the road.

QuoteMathias would only say he was eyeing a location around Birmingham or Montgomery for the port, which would also include an airport with four runways, each 18,000 feet long.

^ Another problem and inconsistency here: US 43 goes nowhere near Birmingham or Montgomery, and from what I thought the airport/inland port would be located on the toll road.

Sorry, but I'm calling BS on this one.

A nondescript private company that no one has even heard of, all of a sudden announces that they have $7 billion in funds to build a major tollway across Alabama, without any federal aid?? Without going through the required NEPA environmental and public involvement process?? And, a guaranteed tollway AND airport within 7 years???

Yeah, right. Not even the Trans-Texas Corridor made promises like that.

If they were that legit, then Bobby Jindal would have secured them to build I-49 South in Louisiana.

I detect the distinct odor of dead rat in this air.


Anthony

Quote from: Anthony_JK on September 21, 2011, 11:12:59 AM
A nondescript private company that no one has even heard of, all of a sudden announces that they have $7 billion in funds to build a major tollway across Alabama, without any federal aid?? Without going through the required NEPA environmental and public involvement process?? And, a guaranteed tollway AND airport within 7 years???

signature, or brains?

Now the truth is coming out that the Alabama Toll Road proposal is a sham....

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/09/filing_warns_toll_road_develop.html

QuoteThe filing with federal securities regulators also says that Ameri-Metro was so thinly capitalized as of July 31, 2010, that its auditor warned that it was in danger of going out of business. At that time, Ameri-Metro's liabilities of $1.58 million outweighed its assets of $1.49 million.
The filing indicates that the company's main asset was 50 acres of land, and that any shares sold were likely to trade over the counter, not on a major exchange. The filing said shares could price below $5, which would mean it would be a "penny stock," subject to more restrictive federal rules.

Also Wednesday, Ameri-Metro Chief Executive Officer Shah Mathias, a Pennsylvania real estate developer and financier, said he had pleaded guilty to a sex crime in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania state records show he is registered as a sex offender because of unlawful contact or communication with a minor.

Yeah, I started looking into this further last night but got off onto something else. I did find a supposed Google+ account for this guy and it had a story that claimed he came from Pakistan. Plus when I looked over the website, it looked somewhat legitimate, but there was no careers section anywhere, and most businesses now days have a career section on their website, even if they are not hiring. The article was quoted as having the toll road start at the Port of Mobile. Well, I know that wouldn't happen as where would you construct the facility through Mobile?? Use existing routes?? There is no way that the city would allow a new highway built near downtown as they do not even want a new Interstate 10 bridge being built as it would obstruct their downtown. And in looking at their plans for their proposed freight station/airport showed the toll road as being 8 lanes (4 lanes in each direction of course) in that vicinity. Plus, if it is going to be built along the U.S. 43 corridor, then there really wouldn't be any need for an 8-lane facility along any stretch of it sans maybe the extreme southern portion near Mobile...

Daphne eyes annexing new section of Alabama 181 to spur development (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/09/daphne_eyes_new_section_of_ala.html)

QuoteDAPHNE, Alabama – A short stretch of highway could have long-run implications.

A plan to annex a portion of the recently expanded Ala. 181 into Daphne's corporate limits could facilitate further development on the east side of the city limits, officials said.

A proposal set for discussion during a work session next month would bring a roughly 3.5-mile portion of the highway – from Lawson Road to Baldwin County 64 – into the city limits.

The state has petitioned the city to annex the road, according to Councilman John Lake.

Property on either side of the road would not be annexed, though city officials said they're eyeing those areas for potential future development.

A few weeks ago, four-lane traffic opened on Ala. 181 between U.S. 90 and Baldwin County 64, as part of a two-year, $12.7 million project, said Vince Calametti, director of the Mobile office of the Alabama Department of Transportation.

That section was part of a three-phase undertaking to widen a 15-mile stretch of the highway – from U.S. 31 in Spanish Fort to U.S. 98 west of Weeks Bay – to four lanes.

Construction on the next stage, widening Ala. 181 from Baldwin County 64 to Ala. 104, is about two years away, Calametti said.

Transportation related, so I figured I would share it.  :)

New, $72 million railroad bridge to be installed over Mobile River (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/10/new_72_million_railroad_bridge.html)

QuoteA $72 million railroad bridge will be installed over the Mobile River starting Sunday, the final stage of a project that has been advocated by waterway users for more than 20 years.

The current CSX Corp. bridge – known as 14-mile bridge – was built in 1927 and swings on a pivot installed in the middle of the river, giving commercial barges only 135 feet on either side to pass.

QuoteThe new vertical-lift bridge will rise high enough to allow 60 feet of vertical clearance. And without the old pivot in the middle of the river, barges will have 300 feet to pass.

Robertsdale City Council approves grant to install LED lights along Highway 59 (http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2011/11/11/municipal_news/doc4eb9a60f925e6677057541.txt)

QuoteThe Robertsdale City Council approved a pair of measures at its council meeting Monday to replace 120 incandescent street lights along Highway 59 from Central Baldwin Middle School to County Road 48 with new LED energy-efficient light fixtures.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve two resolutions at Monday night's council meeting accepting a $100,000 grant.

QuoteAccording to Smith, the annual cost of power is $120.90 and estimated bulb life is an average of 22,000 hours for each of the existing incandescent fixtures. For one of the new LED fixtures, the annual cost of power is approximately $39 and estimated bulb life is 50,000 hours.

Schillinger Road widening continues as Mobile County puts latest construction job up for bid (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/11/schillinger_road_widening_cont.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama -- Mobile County's plan to improve an urban loop around the city of Mobile took another step forward Monday as the County Commission opened bids to widen Schillinger Road.

However, construction can't begin until the Mobile County Water, Sewer and Fire Protection Authority moves one of its waterlines that runs in the right of way, said Bryan Kegley, assistant county engineer.

The utility has already bid the estimated $400,000 project but hasn't awarded it to a contractor because it doesn't have enough money to pay for it right now, Kegley said.

A representative of the utility did not return calls for comment Monday.

The loop project has been under way for years, and several sections of road have already been widened or, in the case of a small section south of Interstate 10, newly created. When it's complete, it will create an arc around Mobile via Alabama 158 to the north, Schillinger Road to the west and Theodore Dawes Road to the south.

The majority of the loop will be four or five lanes wide.

The section of Schillinger Road that was opened for bid Monday runs from Old Pascagoula Road to Three Notch Road. The project, expected to cost about $5 million, is one of five sections of Schillinger that remain to be widened, Kegley said.

The southern stretch, which includes the latest project to be bid, runs from Old Pascagoula to Cottage Hill Road. The remaining two phases in that corridor will cost about $10 million to $12 million each and will be funded through the county's Pay-As-You-Go program, Kegley said. They should be finished sometime in 2015, he said.

A second corridor of future widening on Schillinger runs from Lott Road to Howell's Ferry Road. Plans for those widening projects are still in the engineering phase, Kegley said.

"When those are finished, you'll have yourself a completed urban loop," Kegley said.

Although it will provide additional lanes for those trying to skirt Mobile's western edge, motorists should still expect frequent stops. Only the Alabama 158 section of the loop is a limited access highway.

As Schillinger is widened, it will draw more and more cars, which will bring more development, Kegley said. Those developers will then petition the county for stoplights, he said.

Limited access highways require much more right of way than traditional curb-and-gutter streets, Kegley said.

By the time the widening of Schillinger Road began, large sections of it were already developed. Acquiring the right of way needed to make it a limited access road would have been prohibitively expensive, he said. 

Baldwin County official updates work on Baldwin Beach Express (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/11/baldwin_updates_work_on_baldwi.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Alabama -- Baldwin County Engineer Cal Markert told commissioners at today's regular meeting that work is on schedule for Baldwin Beach Express to be open from Interstate 10 southward in 24 months.

Markert said the phase one work from the end of the Foley Beach Express northward to Baldwin County 32 was complete and work on phase II and III was ongoing extending the four-lane highway to U.S. 90 and on to Baldwin 64. The last section will join the roadway to Interstate 10 with an interchange as an Alabama Department of Transportation project.

The county is currently studying extending the road to connect with Interstate 65 northeast of Bay Minette at the Catawba/Crosby Industrial Megasite.

Initial work on the BBE shows up on the latest Bing aerials, including two asphalt carriageways south of U.S. 90 (http://binged.it/vlm5v8).

New traffic cameras to help traffic flow in Gulf Shores  (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/11/new_traffic_cameras_to_help_tr.html)

QuoteThe Gulf Shores City Council on Monday approved an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation for a $1 million project that focuses on Ala. 59 from the Intracoastal Waterway south to the Gulf.

QuoteThe cameras will be mounted on the traffic signals to count cars and allow the city to adjust the lights based on heavy traffic flow, according to Acreman.

Little Lagoon to get new bridge in Gulf Shores, Alabama (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/11/lagoon_to_get_new_bridge_in_gu.html)

QuoteThe state plans to build a new $12 million to $14 million span over the pass next summer.

QuoteA two-lane temporary bridge will be put up while the old span is demolished and new one is built so traffic will not be effected, he said. Public meetings on the new bridge will be held next month or in January.

Help for traffic getting green light in Gulf Shores (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/11/help_for_traffic_getting_green.html)

QuoteA $1 million upgrade to major downtown intersections along Ala. 59 will get the green light from business owners before work begins, city officials said Monday.

"We're on a tight schedule and hope to have all the improvements in place for tourism season," said Marc Acreman, the city's public works director.

The city and the Alabama Department of Transportation have agreed on a funding plan for the new traffic signals: The city will pay 40 percent of the cost and the state 60 percent, he said.

The city wants to consolidate four traffic signals into two on Ala. 59, including two signals near Clubhouse Drive (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama059/al-059_nb_at_clubhouse_dr.jpg); one in front of Waterville USA; and at 8th Avenue (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama059/al-059_nb_at_w_8th_av.jpg) {This is a single staggered intersection.}.

QuoteWaterville, a family-oriented water and amusement park, paid for the traffic light at the park entrance (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama059/al-059_nb_at_w_8th_av.jpg) 25 years ago, Acreman said. "That was an investment for them and if there are changes, we want it to be an enhancement," for the park.

The city will vote next week on a $22,700 contract with Skipper Consulting of Birmingham to design the traffic signals and an $82,910 contract with Volkert & Associates for surveying, engineering and design of the intersection improvements. Those funds will come from the almost $1 million set aside by the city and state for the project.

The existing traffic signals will be upgraded to mast arm signals which are resilient to hurricanes and will allow the city to mount cameras to count cars, Acreman said.

"The cameras trigger the lights and allow us to track how busy the intersections are," he said. Instead of programming the lights for morning, evening or seasonal traffic, the city can program the system to respond to actual traffic flow at any given time, he said.

The cameras are for traffic flow, not for law enforcement to ticket motorists, he emphasized.

Baldwin County officials discuss new plan for Baldwin Beach Express (http://blog.al.com/live/2011/11/baldwin_county_officials_discu.html)

QuoteBAY MINETTE, Alabama -- Baldwin County commissioners spent several hours Tuesday discussing new plans to move ahead with an effort to connect the Baldwin Beach Express to Interstates 10 and 65.

Officials met with representatives of five area firms that would split the $114 million project, which would include $7.5 million in engineering costs.

QuoteUnder the plans, engineering firms would begin work in mid-December on Phase I of the project, which includes setting up rights of way.

The 25-mile stretch of proposed roadway runs through 80 parcels belonging to a total of 37 landowners. County Engineer Cal Markert said purchasing rights of way would cost about $8 million more.

^ Firms splitting the cost of the project? So it is going to be a tolled facility?I thought it was going to be a four lane expressway with at grade intersections.

Drove Baldwin County 83 north from U.S. 90 to County Road 64 today to check out the status of road work for the Baldwin Beach Express. CR-83 shifts from one carriageway to another on the drive, with traffic using a new northbound span of Davis Branch near U.S. 90. The angled portion at CR-64 is now the default route of CR-83, with two-way traffic using the future southbound carriageway. CR-83 at CR-64 is closed now, with the angled alignment defaulting as the connection between the two county roads. Photos:

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_sb_at_us-090.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_sb_at_us-090.jpg)

County Road 83/Baldwin Beach Express southbound at the current end with U.S. 90. Some asphalt is in place south of the intersection, but road work is yet underway beyond the tree line.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_nb_after_us-090.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_nb_after_us-090.jpg)

Looking north at the Baldwin Beach Express from U.S. 90 toward the crossing of Davis Branch of the Blackwater River. Traffic shifts from the northbound carriageway to the southbound one beyond the 2011-date-stamped bridge.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_sb_after_cr-064.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_sb_after_cr-064.jpg)

CR-83 shield posted on the Baldwin Beach Express southbound as it leaves CR-64. A cotton field lies north of the intersection, as work on the four-lane road to Interstate 10 will be built under an ALDOT contract (who knows when that will happen...).

Also drove the new four-laned section of Alabama 181 (between US 90 and County Road 64) today. The road varies between having a curbed median or a center turn lane. Speed limits on the arterial range between 45 and 55 mph. Photos:

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/al-181_sb_app_lawson_rd.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/al-181_sb_app_lawson_rd.jpg)

Heading south, AL-181 includes a narrow grassy median, but that quickly transitions into a center turn lane ahead of the signalized intersection with Lawson Road. Mileposts were added to the state route recently as well.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/al-181_sb_app_cr-064.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/al-181_sb_app_cr-064.jpg)

New guide sign (in Highway Gothic new less) for the AL-181 intersection with CR-64. Mast-arm signals are present at Lawson Rd, Pleasant Rd, and CR-64.

Baldwin County clears first Scenic Byway hurdle for Tensaw Parkway (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/01/baldwin_county_clears_first_sc.html)

The proposal includes Alabama 225 and a portion of Alabama 59.

Truck route plans roll on in Bay Minette (http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2012/01/04/municipal_news/doc4f01d2625c141080742614.txt)

QuotePlans to install a truck-bypass route in Bay Minette seem to be on track.

During last week's regular North Baldwin Utilities Board meeting, Mayor Jamie Tillery announced that the City Council recently voted to have a contractor draw up a proposal that would be presented to the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Quote"It'll slow down traffic on that square, which will go from four lanes to two lanes with a center turning lane," Tillery said.

State wants to build bridge over Gulf State Park in Orange Beach (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/01/state_wants_to_build_bridge_ov.html)

QuoteThe state hopes to partner with the builders of the Foley Beach Express to construct an elevated bridge over Gulf Sate Park that would give beach traffic a straight shot to the Gulf, Mayor Tony Kennon said Tuesday night during the city's town hall meeting.

The bridge, dubbed the Cross Island Parkway by some, would start at Ala. 182, or Perdido Beach Boulevard, behind a power substation Tipseas Restaurant. The bridge would then travel over the park's wildlife area and part of a lake, and drop motorists onto Canal Road at the entrance to the Foley Beach Express.

Quote

The elevated roadway would follow Collegiate Lane, or what locals call Power Line Road, a dirt road that is used by eight different utilities, according to Ken Grimes, city administrator.

Quote

The project would be funded by ALDOT and the bridge builders, according to Kennon. The state would take the $15 million to $18 million it was going to spend on widening Canal Road to five lanes, and put it into building the bridge, according to Kennon.

QuoteAnd, the Foley Beach Express tollbooth at the Intracoastal Waterway near the Wharf would most likely be relocated near Baldwin County 20 and the Express, Kennon said.

So that means you can shunpike it if this happens? Or will they upgrade the remainder of the FBE to a freeway?

Plan for bridge over Gulf State Park draws environmental concerns (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/01/bridge_plan_for_state_park_in.html)

State funding could help south Baldwin County traffic bypass efforts (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/03/state_funding_could_help_south.html)

QuoteOne project that might be ready to submit this month would be widening Baldwin County 20 from Ala. 59 west, Mayor John Koniar said.

That project is part of a long-range plan to have a ring of roads that would allow traffic to be funneled around Foley and not have to pass through the downtown business district, Mike Thompson, city administrator said.

He said the Foley Beach Express now moves traffic east of the city to Baldwin County 20. Baldwin 20 was widened to five lanes from the Beach Express west to Ala. 59, just south of the Tanger Outlet Center.

Thompson said the final goal is to widen Baldwin 20 west to Baldwin County 65.

QuoteOther projects include extending Fern Avenue east across Ala. 59 and widening McKenzie Avenue.

I loathe 5 lane roads with those center left turn lanes.  How ugly.

Road to nowhere: U.S. 98 project in Mobile remains unfinished (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/03/road_to_nowhere_us_98_project.html)

QuoteAlaska has its bridge to nowhere. And it looks like Mobile will keep a road to nowhere for at least another five to 10 years.

Given the price tag of more than $80 million for a still-unfinished 8-mile stretch that runs from the Mississippi line to Big Creek Lake, state officials said it may be a decade before the final 4 miles of the U.S. Highway 98 project are completed.

QuoteAfter major environmental problems developed on the first 8-mile section, which is now more than $40 million over budget, state officials went back to the drawing board to redesign the final four-mile stretch. The goal is to make the roadway more environmentally friendly.

QuoteAs part of settling the lawsuits, transportation officials agreed to take extra precautions and redesign parts of the roadway, including the missing four-mile stretch that will link U.S. 98 at the Mississippi line to Interstate 65 in Saraland.

Instead of using one bridge and long dirt causeways to traverse miles of wetlands, the new plan calls for 11 bridges, according to Tony Harris, spokesman for the transportation department. Harris said the agency hopes to have the new plans for the roadway completed sometime in 2012.

After that, the project will have to pass environmental review, then be sent out for bids from contractors. Once all that is completed, construction will take about four and a half years, Harris said.

Second roundabout proposed for Eastern Shore (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/03/another_roundabout_on_the_east.html)

QuoteThe intersection of Baldwin County 64 and 13 could be turned into the second roundabout on the Eastern Shore under a proposal by Baldwin County government and city of Daphne officials.

"The county has been pushing the roundabout,"  said Richard Johnson, Daphne public works director. The $630,000 project appears on the city's list of road projects for which it would seek money in October from the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010_wb_vietnam_war_mem_hwy_sign.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010_wb_vietnam_war_mem_hwy_sign.jpg)

Sometime this year, a sign was added to Interstate 10 westbound just beyond the welcome sign proclaiming the Alabama freeway the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.

Drove Baldwin County 83 yesterday to see what progress has been made on construction of the Baldwin Beach Express. The future southbound carriageway (which follows the original roadway) was paved and widened to add partial shoulders since our last visit in November. Once CR-83 approaches Davis Branch, the road shifts to the 2011-completed (future northbound) bridge.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_sb_app_davis_br.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_sb_app_davis_br.jpg)

The original bridge was demolished and a new one is currently under construction.

Otherwise some noticeable land clearing south of U.S. 90, and final paving is still underway along the future northbound carriageway (as it was in November).

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/canal_st_eb_app_i-010.jpg)

This the last surviving button copy sign in southwest Alabama. It is posted ahead of the Claiborne Street on-ramp to Interstate 10 east near downtown Mobile.

That same "Vietnam War Memorial Highway" sign is on eastbound, i want to say right before the Tillman's Corner construction zone.

Baldwin commissioners ok $3.6 million start for Beach Express phase II (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/03/baldwin_commissioners_ok_36_mi.html)

QuoteBaldwin County commissioners decided in a series of 2-1 split votes Tuesday to launch phase 2 of the Baldwin Beach Express project at an immediate cost of $3.68 million.

Quote from: SSF on March 19, 2012, 08:58:39 PM
That same "Vietnam War Memorial Highway" sign is on eastbound, i want to say right before the Tillman's Corner construction zone.

Saw the sign today, it is posted near the Alabama welcome center, which is closed until late May incidentally.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/midwest/i-010_mobile_co_widening.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/midwest/i-010_mobile_co_widening.jpg)

Base pavement for the I-10 Mobile County widening is laid east from the beginning of road work ahead of Exit 17 through to the US 90 under crossing.

Quote from: Alex on April 05, 2012, 08:28:16 PM

Quote from: SSF on March 19, 2012, 08:58:39 PM
That same "Vietnam War Memorial Highway" sign is on eastbound, i want to say right before the Tillman's Corner construction zone.

Saw the sign today, it is posted near the Alabama welcome center, which is closed until late May incidentally.

There's a temporary Welcome Center on 90 West :)

Gulf Shores' Little Lagoon bridge work could start this fall (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/gulf_shores_little_lagoon_brid.html)

QuoteConstruction on a new bridge at Little Lagoon pass and a redesign of the channel could start in late fall and take almost two years to complete, according to state officials.

The estimated $8 million project must still get environmental approval from the Federal Highway Administration, according to Vince Calametti, division engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation in Mobile.

QuoteThe new two-lane bridge will be wider at 80 feet across, to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians crossing the bridge. The height will be the same, the old piling walls will be replaced and a walkway will be built underneath the bridge to allow folks to walk from the parking lot to the beach.

The bridge to be replaced is three miles west of Alabama 182's junction with Alabama 59:

(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama180/al-182_eb_at_little_lagoon_pass.jpg) (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama180/al-182_eb_at_little_lagoon_pass.jpg)

Seems like the entities that would win out in this arrangement is itraffic and the state...

Prichard looking to speeders to increase city revenue (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/prichard_looking_to_speeders_t.html)

QuotePrichard is counting on thousands of speeders to generate new revenue for the city, pay for six police officers and help curb crime, Mayor Ron Davis said Wednesday.

An analysis by iTraffic, a company working with the city, suggests that city police ought to be able to write as many as 3,000 speeding tickets per month.

Police now write about 100 monthly.

QuoteGardner said that the problem is particularly bad on Interstate 165 and Interstate 65 in the city, where the posted limit is 65 mph, and along the major arteries of St. Stephens, Shelton Beach and Lott roads.

QuoteThe average speeding ticket carries a fine of $156. Of that, Prichard receives $35. The rest goes to other state agencies including the court system.

Under the new arrangement, iTraffic and the city would each get would $17.50.

Quote from: Alex on May 17, 2012, 01:06:06 PM
Prichard looking to corruption to increase city revenue (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/prichard_looking_to_speeders_t.html)

fixed that headline for ya.

that said, carjacking people and selling their property is probably a quicker way to generate revenue.  Prichard should look into that.

Road work on Interstate 10, U.S. 98 planned after beach season (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/road_work_on_interstate_10_us.html)

QuoteThe first section of the I-10 resurfacing will be from Ala. 59 to Wilcox Road and is scheduled for just after Labor Day when the busiest part of the summer beach season will be over, Calametti said. The cost is $12.1 million.

"Most of it is going to be done at night,"  Calametti said.

But, because of damage from heavy trucks, lanes in one section will have to be closed for four days at a time, for removal of five inches of asphalt, he said.

The closings are expected to be from Sundays to Thursdays on four separate occasions, he said. Further details will be announced once the closings are set.

In several months, the department plans to take bids for I-10 resurfacing between Ala. 59 and U.S. 98, he said. Final plans have not been made.

QuoteOne more change expected "pretty soon,"  is an increase in the speed limit on Ala. 181 from U.S. 90 south to the Daphne limits, Calametti said. The speed limit would go from 45 mph to 55 mph.

During the long-running project to four-lane Ala. 181 to just past Baldwin County 64 in Belforest, speed limits were set to accommodate construction work. "There was a lot of confusion about those speed limits,"  Calametti said.

The highway department did a formal study of 181 and concluded that 55 mph was appropriate. Calametti said the change will go into effect as soon as the necessary paperwork is completed.

Baldwin County 36 to close for two months (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/05/baldwin_36_to_close_for_two_mo.html)

QuoteThe Baldwin County Highway Department has announced plans to close Baldwin County 36 on Tuesday.

The closure, which will take place at the Baldwin County 83 intersection, is necessary to complete intersection improvements for the Baldwin Beach Express project, according to a news release from the Highway Department.

Officials say the road closure will last approximately two months.

Looking at the detour map (http://media.al.com/live/photo/baldwin-36-detour-7c7cf2c1ba5fe35f.jpg), this is to link the north end of the existing Baldwin Beach Express from Foley with the southern extent of County Road 83.

The EB I-10 welcome center was still closed Thursday night, that makes it almost two weeks late in opening up.

The new light just south of Old Shell Road along University Boulevard. Why they write "less than a mile" is beyond me. It is a lot closer than that and likely will add to the craze of blowing red lights through this area with so many signals now in use.

Another red light: This time near one of state's most dangerous intersections (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/07/one_more_red_light_this_time_n.html)

QuoteThe traffic signal, located south of Old Shell Road near an entrance to a former strip mall now owned by the University of South Alabama, was required because of the amount of traffic that will be created when the large apartment complex opens, city officials said.

Council woman Bess Rich said she was told by traffic engineers that lights will be timed together, or coordinated, to ease traffic problems as much as possible.

Schillinger Road widening project moving forward, slowly (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/08/schillinger_road_widening_proj.html)

QuoteThe widening of Schillinger Road, creating a so-called "urban loop" around Mobile's suburban edge, is progressing bit by bit, but it's a been a slow process.

An early section of the widening plan, which will make Schillinger Road five lanes from Old Pascagoula Road to Three Notch Road, was cleared for bid in November 2011 but the project was delayed, and bids did not go out until June. Construction workers are just now breaking ground on the project.

Work on the $4 million project was held up because the Mobile County Water, Sewer and Fire Protection Authority was slow to relocate some of its waterlines running through the right of way.

Another, much larger and more costly bit of the project should be put out for bid in January and go under construction about two months later, said Bryan Kegley, assistant county engineer.  That $24 million overhaul will make the road five lanes from Howell's Ferry to U.S. 98.

Another section from U.S. 98 to Lott Road should begin in 2014, Kegley said.

The undertaking, when complete, will make Schillinger Road five lanes wide for nearly the entire stretch from Old Pascagoula Road to Alabama 158.

Traffic relief is likely to be short lived, however.

West Mobile has undergone tremendous development over the last decade, and the pattern will likely be exacerbated by the widening of the road, county officials have acknowledged.

As more traffic flocks to the high-capacity street, commercial developers eager to attract the drivers will begin building strip malls and drive-in restaurants. As the development fills in, they will demand traffic lights, further slowing traffic. 

Not that I did not already know this... So in reading the article, the five-laning of the remaining two-lane sections will just accommodate sprawl, meaning there is no overall gain to traffic flow over expanding from two to five lanes? :banghead: More of a reason that the West Mobile Bypass should have been built. NIMBY's were all against that, but for this and its future commercial development, not a peep.

I noted this past weekend orange signs for construction posted between Exits 44 and 53 of Interstate 10 in Baldwin County. Checked the ALDOT District 9 Construction Bulleton and found nothing on the project. After an email inquery, I am unhappy to report that a year long resurfacing project is about to begin with completion in October 2013. What will the speed limit be, 55? 50? Either way, ugh.   :-/

The article is nondescript with regards to what interchange modifications, unless its the removal of the Texas Street half-diamond, which was proposed in 2003 to make way for the new bridge approach. Otherwise it appears to be about Interstate 10 where the long proposed new bridge would begin, which I have read nothing on in a long time.

Public forum to address I-10 interchange modifications (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/09/public_forum_to_address_i-10_i.html)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama -- Residents will have an opportunity Oct. 2 to voice any suggestions or concerns regarding proposed modifications to the Interstate 10 interchange.

Hosted by the Alabama Department of Transportation, the "public involvement meeting" will focus on the area stretching from Texas Street to the western entrance of the Wallace Tunnel.

The meeting will be held in the Killian Room of the International Trade Center at 250 N. Water St. from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Participants wishing to comment during the forum must first sign in between 5 p.m. and 5:45 p.m., and each will be limited to two minutes addressing ALDOT representatives.

I-10 interchange project deemed 'priority' to improve Wallace Tunnel safety (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/09/i-10_interchange_project_deeme.html)

QuoteNo clear timetable exists for overhauling one of Mobile's most infamous malfunction junctions, but improving safety - not congestion - is the primary goal for the latest proposed overhaul of the Interstate 10 interchange at the Wallace Tunnel.

"I don't want to say there's not a congestion issue because there certainly is, but what we'll accomplish with this project is improving safety and ensuring more efficient operation," said Vince Calametti, engineer for the Mobile division of the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Although he could not provide exact figures while traveling late Friday afternoon between Montgomery and Mobile, Calametti estimated some 120 accidents have occurred at the eastbound tunnel entrance during the past three years.

The long-discussed $24 million project -- stretching from Texas Street to the western entrance of the Wallace Tunnel - has resurfaced intermittently for more than six years, but permanent funding and an approved plan have proved as elusive as a smooth eastbound merge at rush hour. City engineers have estimated some 80,000 vehicles travel through the tunnel on peak days.

Calametti said the project will be an 80-20 funding split between federal and state dollars, but the exact sources of those dollars have not been identified making a start or completion date Impossible to pinpoint.

Total waste of $24 million in nonexistent funds. If you are still talking about building what is now an $850-million bridge, prioritize that. The Water Street interchange will not be a safety issue once all of the through traffic is moved away. Adding a couple of years of construction before you actually break ground on a bridge, just to open up some more land for development and extend accel/decel lanes, is a terrible prospect.

Also, ripping out the Water Street stack intended for I-210 and combining that with the Canal Street diamond interchange into one diverging diamond interchange is the solution? What kind of useful traffic logic is that? The quote about it not addressing any congestion issues should immediately throw this project out into Mobile Bay...

QuoteAlthough the interchange modifications will most certainly reduce the number of accidents that often clog the overwrought Wallace Tunnel, the changes will not directly relieve congestion because traffic volume should remain unchanged.

Why does every area have to have either a "Spaghetti Junction" or "Malfunction Junction". No one calls that interchange Malfunction Junction, get a new term already...

And as it appears on the diagram, the footprint for Interstate 10 through traffic looks as if its going to be reduced to two lanes in each direction. Hopefully that is just a goof on the drafters part when they drew in the linework, and not what would actually be constructed (if the project ever happens). All this will do is push the current bottleneck further to the south of the tunnel.

I also wonder if this project ever comes to fruition if they will finally remove that rusted old crosswalk over the interstate or if they would actually find a way to allow it to remain! Knowing them they would perform the latter!! lol

On my latest drive to Mobile, I decided to swing southward to check on progress of the Baldwin Beach Express. The roadway is nearing completion from U.S. 90 north to County Road 64. Four lanes of traffic are open, with some landscaping work still underway. Traffic now curves northwest to the temporary north end at CR-64, with the old alignment of CR 83 now completed severed from the original alignment. Unfortunately the rural intersection between U.S. 90 and CR-83 will be signalized. Mast arm signals in body bags are already awaiting activation. Work further south still has a ways to go and is still in the grading stage.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_nb_after_us-090_02.jpg)

The neutered trailblazer for I-10 posted just north of U.S. 90. The original CR 83 bridge ahead was demolished and replaced to match the new southbound span.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/bbe_sb_at_us-090_02.jpg)

Detour I-10 trailblazer posted ahead of the temporary, and soon to be signalized, end of the Baldwin Beach Express south at US 90.

What is up with the Detour West I-10 trailblazers? This isn't yet siphoning traffic from I-10 is it?

Quote from: codyg1985 on October 01, 2012, 06:42:17 PM
What is up with the Detour West I-10 trailblazers? This isn't yet siphoning traffic from I-10 is it?

They are posted along County Road 64 from Exit 53 westward in both directions. First noted them in December 2010.

I figure they are incident detours, like the ones in Baton Rouge or the Emergency Detours in Michigan and northwest Indiana.

I-10 interchange meeting draws no vocal criticism from capacity crowd (http://blog.al.com/press-register-business/2012/10/i-10_interchange_meeting_draws.html#incart_river)

QuoteIn simplest terms, the proposal removes all bridges and ramps off of I-10 from Texas Street to the western entrance of the tunnel and lengthens the acceleration lane by backing up the Wallace Tunnel entrance ramp to Canal Street.

Mike Patrick, project manager with Thompson Engineering Inc., said told those in attendance the proposed west tunnel interchange won't add lanes to I-10, but it will improve the interstate's alignment which should improve the approach of eastbound lanes to the tunnel as well as the exit of westbound traffic.

"It will require the removal of some structures and the construction of additional structures in spots along the route," Patrick said. The project will also create a new "diverging diamond" interchange at Canal and Water streets and a local connector road linking Claiborne and Jackson streets across to Water Street where Royal Street connects under I-10.

Vince Calametti, engineer for the Mobile division of the Alabama Department of Transportation, said the open-house style format prior to Tuesday's meeting elicited "a lot of good ideas" from members of the community, and now the department will examine which of the suggestions are feasible and return with a final design by the summer of 2013.

I hope a no build option is one of the final designs...

ALDOT: Saraland road will be closed for six months starting Tuesday (http://blog.al.com/live/2012/12/aldot_saraland_road_will_be_cl.html#incart_river)

QuoteSARALAND, Alabama -- The Alabama Department of Transportation will close part of Shelton Beach Road for approximately six months on Tuesday to replace a bridge that's more than 50 years old.

Traffic will be detoured from Shelton Beach Road, also known as State Route 213, at milepost 4.6 and onto State Route 158 leading to U.S. Highway 43.

Construction crews will replace a bridge built in 1951 over Norton Creek, state highway department officials said. The bridge is in Saraland, Ala.

The $830,000 project will close Shelton Beach Road starting at 4 p.m., weather permitting.

What about the I-10 widening?  How much longer until that is finished?

Interstate 10 lane closures to begin Sunday in Baldwin County (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/01/interstate_10_lane_closures_to.html#incart_river)

QuoteAs part of a $12.1 million resurfacing project, the Alabama Department of Transportation will begin closing lanes on Interstate 10 on Sunday, Feb. 3.

The paving will take place between Ala. 59 and the Baldwin County 64/Wilcox Road and will require eastbound and westbound lane closures beginning at 11 p.m. each Sunday and ending by 6 a.m. each Thursday for roughly the next 5 weeks, according to a highway department news release.

University of South Alabama pride featured in planned Bankhead Tunnel makeover (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/03/university_of_south_alabama_pr_2.html#incart_river)

QuoteDrivers may notice a change in the coming months while driving through the Bankhead Tunnel from Baldwin County to downtown Mobile.

A beautification project slated to start this year has reimagined the Baldwin County entrance to the Bankhead Tunnel to showcase the upper Gulf Coast's only major public university.

Quote(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.al.com%2Flive%2Fphoto%2F12394397-large.jpg&hash=1e0056202f8d3ecc20ab4c9d77c88a245c73b33b)

An artistic rendering created by officials with the University of South Alabama

Baldwin County beat: New biking and walking path, strategic plan, new highway (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/03/baldwin_county_beat_new_biking.html#incart_river)

QuoteA ceremony to celebrate the construction of the Baldwin Beach Express and an interchange is set for 10 a.m. Friday.

The event will be near the construction at U.S. 90 and Baldwin Beach Express.

Among the people expected at the ceremony are Gov. Robert Bentley and former governors Fob James and Bob Riley.

I am assuming this is the Interstate 10 and Foley Beach Express interchange, but the article is very vague about it. It also references Alabama 59 as U.S. 59...

^ I believe that is correct. A project to build the interchange was let in January, Low bidder was McInnis Construction out of Montgomery for $10,577,901.14.

Baldwin County Beach Expressway to be Completed by 2014 (http://www.local15tv.com/news/local/story/Baldwin-County-Beach-Expressway-to-be-Completed/IX8r-twtqEOA_2iZp1l_jw.cspx)

A video piece I caught this morning, confirming that the celebration is for the next phase of work to link the Baldwin Beach Express with I-10. The public is invited, anyone want to go?  :happy:

Hopefully the speed limit on I-10 is now reduced to 50 mph for the entire duration of work as it is in Mobile County for the four-laning. June 2014 is one date touted for the highway's completion, but then "a few months later" for the interchange and then something about "Spring Break of 2015" for overall completion.   :confused:

I honestly don't understand why this isn't a freeway. All of this "economic development" is going to mean traffic signals out the wazoo, but no one seems to want to acknowledge that.

Quote from: codyg1985 on March 14, 2013, 07:33:00 AM
I honestly don't understand why this isn't a freeway. All of this "economic development" is going to mean traffic signals out the wazoo, but no one seems to want to acknowledge that.

There already is a set of signals in place on US 90 for the new roadway. That intersection is still very rural and could easily get by with just a stop sign for US 90, but they probably foresee gas stations and fast food rising at the junction, the way it did at US 98. It should be a full freeway as both a way to traverse the 40 miles to the coast but also a solid evacuation route over the developed stretches of Alabama 59. The portion north to I-65, if it ever gets funded, may very well be a freeway because there is nothing there and only the Megasite is proposed.

Groundbreaking took place today at the ceremony.

Alabama political, business and community leaders gather to celebrate Baldwin Beach Express (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/03/alabama_political_business_and.html#incart_river)

QuoteThe current 12.8-mile project's phases include the Foley Beach Express to Baldwin County 32 at a cost of $5.6 million; Baldwin 32 to U.S. 90, $48 million; U.S. 90 to Baldwin County 64, $16.7 million; and Baldwin 64 to the I-10 interchange, $16.2 million. Including a corridor study costing $147,000, the total comes to $86.7 million that is covered by federal, state and county funding.

While the total project is expected to be finished in about 20 months, the I-10 interchange work, which also includes connecting U.S. 90 and Baldwin 64, will begin Monday. The longest phase, between 32 and 90 is well under way and is expected to be completed around the same time as the interchange, highway officials said.

Still nothing on the Interstate 10 Mobile River bridge concept, which would eliminate the safety concerns with the Wallace Tunnel west entrance. This project removes the directional interchange for Water Street (the original planned I-210 south end) and adds a diverging diamond at Canal Street (which currently sees a half-diamond interchange).

Feds took back $27 million in funding for Wallace Tunnel onramp fix (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/05/feds_take_back_27_million_in_f.html#incart_river)

QuoteFederal officials have withdrawn $27 million in transportation funding that had been dedicated to overhauling the dangerous Interstate 10 interchange at the George Wallace Tunnel, said Vince Calametti, director of the state highway department's Mobile office.

The project, which was given the green light in 2010, would remove the interchange at Water Street, which dumps traffic onto I-10 just at the entrance of the tunnel at a steep angle and a very short acceleration lane. The interchange would be moved south to Canal Street.

The project, whose total cost is estimated to be between $21 million to $22 million, was originally slated to begin as soon as last year.

Calametti said that he fully intends to pursue the project despite the loss of the funding. The project is small enough that the state will be able to absorb it into its rolling list of projects, so finding a special funding source probably won't be necessary, Calametti said.

QuoteDesign on the project is already underway and is scheduled to wrap up in the summer of 2014, Calametti said. When that is done, the project will be added to the list of projects ready for bid as funding becomes available, he said.

Mobile city and county road projects include continued focus at Brookley Aeroplex, interstate work and Schillinger Road (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/05/mobile_city_and_county_road_pr.html#incart_river)

QuotePrevious Pay-As-You-Go programs set aside funding for widening Schillinger from Howell's Ferry Road to U.S. Route 98 and south from Cottage Hill Road toward Three Notch Road. The southern project, at an estimated $12.5 million, includes the construction of a new bridge over Halls Mill Creek.

QuoteOther state-funded projects are in the works, though funding has yet to be identified and planning is not complete. Those include, among other things, reconstruction work along Wilson Avenue in Prichard, replacing 30-year-old lighting to I-10 in both Mobile and Baldwin counties, and demolishing a 30 to 40-year-old welcoming center and rebuilding a new one at the Alabama-Mississippi state line.

Some of the projects:

Quote

Interstate 10 [widening] (west of Carol Plantation Road to east of Halls Mill Creek): $26 million, projected to be completed in November

Schillinger Road (widening from Howell's Ferry Road to U.S. Route 98): Project will last 18 months

Schillinger Road South (widening of Schillinger south of Cottage Hill Road includes a new bridge): $12 million, projected to start this fall and continue until next year.

Dauphin Island Parkway (resurfacing from Dauphin Island bridge to Laurendine Road): $2 million, projected to be completed by June 24.

Government Street (resurfacing of Government Street through midtown and downtown Mobile to be completed later this month).

Tanner Williams Road (widening from Snow Road to North of Ziegler Boulevard) $17.5 million project includes a new bridge over Pierce Creek.

Cody Road (resurfacing from Overlook Road to Old Shell Road): 1.8 mile project has no time line.

Route 217 (resurfacing from U.S. Route 45 to Jim Tom Circle): $1.97 million project concludes May 31.

Interstate 65 (resurfacing from north of Alabama Route 158 in Saraland to north of U.S. Route 43): $7 million, projected to be completed July 1, 2014.

Coy Smith Road (resurfacing from School Street to U.S. Route 43): $5.2 million, projected to be completed next year.

Grand Bay Wilmer Road South (Newman Road to Airport Boulevard) [resurfacing]: $1.8 million project, projected to start this summer and continue for 10 months.

http://www.wkrg.com/story/22488245/new-highway-98-86-million-spent-decade-to-go

Article on stalled US 98 expansion from WKRG

http://www.change.org/petitions/alabama-department-of-transportation-include-bicycle-pedestrian-facilities-on-the-i-10-mobile-river-bridge

A petition on change.org I noticed that calls for ALDOT to include bike/ped facilities on the proposed I-10 Mobile River Bridge.  The petition cites successful facilities on the new US 17 Cooper River Bridge in Charleston, SC and also on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge near DC.

IMO, this is a good idea.  There's really no good way for a bicycle to get across the Alabama River south of Jackson.  Wallace Tunnel doesn't allow them...the tunnel on US 98/Government St is way too narrow, and the Cochran Bridge is, IMO, short on such facilities.

Quote from: roadwarrior on June 04, 2013, 09:44:00 PM
http://www.wkrg.com/story/22488245/new-highway-98-86-million-spent-decade-to-go

Article on stalled US 98 expansion from WKRG

What in the world were they thinking when they began this project?

Quote from: brownpelican on June 05, 2013, 10:48:37 PM

Quote from: roadwarrior on June 04, 2013, 09:44:00 PM
http://www.wkrg.com/story/22488245/new-highway-98-86-million-spent-decade-to-go

Article on stalled US 98 expansion from WKRG

What in the world were they thinking when they began this project?

Clearly they weren't. :banghead: 

I've never understood why they had to expand it to the state line and bypass Wilmer.   When the project was first announced, it was supposed to be a much shorter extension of Alabama 158 from Schillinger Rd. to Moffat Rd. somewhere between Semmes and Fairview.  Then the rest of Moffat Rd. was going to stay US 98 but be widened (this part isn't as busy and does not need to be bypassed; Mobile and Semmes probably should be).  To me, this would have been less costly than their awfully risky decision to pave through numerous wetlands; I find it hard to believe that it would be more costly to buy the land needed to expand that part of the current 98.  If they had stayed with this plan; it would have already been built. 

I often drive down the previous phase of the US 98 expansion (the expansion of ALA 158 from US 45 to Schillinger Rd.).  The sides of it are constantly falling apart and I almost always see construction crews out there working on it.  And that's

More support for a pedestrian walkway on the proposed I-10 Bridge, this time from the Mayoral candidates:

Sandy Stimpson: Let's go "multi-modal" with the I-10 bridge over Mobile River (http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/06/sandy_stimpson_lets_go_multi-m.html#incart_river)

Sam Jones: I am walking the walk on pedestrian/biking path over I-10 bridge (http://www.al.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/06/sam_jones_i_am_walking_the_wal.html#incart_river)

Too bad there is no news on construction of the actual bridge!!

The same bridge that has been talked about for years (over the Mobile River to bypass the tunnel for Interstate 10). Had they started on work as they hoped at the ALDOT meeting I attended in 2003, the bridge would have been done by last year or this year...

Discussion of this bridge has long been considered a joke by locals.  None of us believe it will ever be built.  That would be too competent.  They've been talking about it for at least 40 years.   Not long ago people were still trying for a northern route on the Cochrane Africatown bridge (something that obviously wouldn't work) and shunning any potential real routes. 

Obviously we need it and I think a walking/biking lane etc. sounds great as well.  Most importantly I think we need to make it high enough for ships etc.  and make the architecture of it beautiful.  Let's not just make it any bridge, let's make it something that will add to the city instead of becoming an eyesore. 

I'll believe it when I see it.  Hopefully it will happen.

Quote from: roadwarrior on June 15, 2013, 04:21:02 PM
Discussion of this bridge has long been considered a joke by locals.  None of us believe it will ever be built.  That would be too competent.  They've been talking about it for at least 40 years.   Not long ago people were still trying for a northern route on the Cochrane Africatown bridge (something that obviously wouldn't work) and shunning any potential real routes. 

Obviously we need it and I think a walking/biking lane etc. sounds great as well.  Most importantly I think we need to make it high enough for ships etc.  and make the architecture of it beautiful.  Let's not just make it any bridge, let's make it something that will add to the city instead of becoming an eyesore. 

I'll believe it when I see it.  Hopefully it will happen.

There are some that want exactly that, a signature bridge that adds to the skyline. Then the opponents say "it will cast a huge shadow over downtown" or "it will hamper the shipbuilding industry by adding a height restriction to the river." Either way, as you wrote, it seems as if it will never happen...

Further frustrating is that 2003 plan called for widening the Bayway to eight lanes. Widening is needed, yet here we are in 2013 with just four lanes and traffic counts of 62,000 vpd. I can see the Baldwin stretch between Exits 35 and 38 going to six lanes before the Bayway gets any improvement...

Quote from: Alex on June 16, 2013, 12:47:51 PM
There are some that want exactly that, a signature bridge that adds to the skyline. Then the opponents say "it will cast a huge shadow over downtown" or "it will hamper the shipbuilding industry by adding a height restriction to the river." Either way, as you wrote, it seems as if it will never happen...

Further frustrating is that 2003 plan called for widening the Bayway to eight lanes. Widening is needed, yet here we are in 2013 with just four lanes and traffic counts of 62,000 vpd. I can see the Baldwin stretch between Exits 35 and 38 going to six lanes before the Bayway gets any improvement...

Yeah, I used to get so frustrated because of the way the argument was always framed.  Supporters would always go "we can make it high enough" in response and the opponents would never respond back to that but keep regurgitating the "height restriction" argument.  It was as if they weren't even willing to have a straighforward conversation about it.  They always wanted to spend far more on a "northern route"  that would have somehow detoured traffic way around the city (and added lanes and bridges) and on to the Cochran bridge but it's obviously too far out of the way to do that and too costly.

I see Baldwin getting 8 lanes first as well.  I think it would be great to see the Bayway get eight lanes.  All I've heard lately is bridge talk and nothing about the Bayway itself though.  At least a decade or more ago I remember a Mobile River bridge idea to convert Virginia Street east of I-10 into a bridge that not only crossed the river but met with the Bayway about halfway through the Bay.  At that point the two were supposed to merge and form the eight lane highway.  At the time there was also a likely unsellable idea to simply not have it merge halfway and instead go all the way to Fairhope.  Intriguing but probably considered too costly.

If the bayway is to be widened, I wonder if they would also consider raising it to make it more hurricane-proof, similar to what was done with I-10 across Lake Ponchartrain?

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 16, 2013, 06:29:38 PM
If the bayway is to be widened, I wonder if they would also consider raising it to make it more hurricane-proof, similar to what was done with I-10 across Lake Ponchartrain?

As I recall it, the 2001-2003 proposals involved adding on to the existing bridges. It took Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina to get the substandard and lower bridges in Florida and Louisiana to be raised. Not sure what the threshold is for storm surge and the current bridge clearance in Mobile Bay, but it likely is considered now.

Quote from: roadwarrior on June 16, 2013, 05:35:04 PM
I see Baldwin getting 8 lanes first as well.  I think it would be great to see the Bayway get eight lanes.  All I've heard lately is bridge talk and nothing about the Bayway itself though.  At least a decade or more ago I remember a Mobile River bridge idea to convert Virginia Street east of I-10 into a bridge that not only crossed the river but met with the Bayway about halfway through the Bay.  At that point the two were supposed to merge and form the eight lane highway.  At the time there was also a likely unsellable idea to simply not have it merge halfway and instead go all the way to Fairhope.  Intriguing but probably considered too costly.

The three corridors presented at the ALDOT meeting I attended in 2003 were:

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/458438_10150776031582948_556608483_o.jpg)

These also involved removal of the Texas Street half-diamond interchange, which is where the new bridge would join existing Interstate 10.

QuoteWidening is needed, yet here we are in 2013 with just four lanes and traffic counts of 62,000 vpd.

Which really isn't all that high for a 4-lane urban freeway.  General, planning-level capacity for a 4-lane urban freeway is in the 75-80K range.

QuoteAs I recall it, the 2001-2003 proposals involved adding on to the existing bridges. It took Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina to get the substandard and lower bridges in Florida and Louisiana to be raised. Not sure what the threshold is for storm surge and the current bridge clearance in Mobile Bay, but it likely is considered now.

Keep in mind that Pensacola and Pontchartrain were brand new bridges.  Can't just "raise the existing" Bayway bridges...all new bridges would have to be built, which would both significantly add to the cost and be an engineering nightmare at Exits 27 and 30.

Quote from: froggie on June 17, 2013, 02:23:02 AM

QuoteAs I recall it, the 2001-2003 proposals involved adding on to the existing bridges. It took Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina to get the substandard and lower bridges in Florida and Louisiana to be raised. Not sure what the threshold is for storm surge and the current bridge clearance in Mobile Bay, but it likely is considered now.

Keep in mind that Pensacola and Pontchartrain were brand new bridges.  Can't just "raise the existing" Bayway bridges...all new bridges would have to be built, which would both significantly add to the cost and be an engineering nightmare at Exits 27 and 30.

I was not suggesting that the old bridges would somehow gain a few feet with construction. I was addressing Cody's question about raising them, i.e. new bridges at a higher clearance. Unfortunately it will likely take a hurricane causing significant damage to the existing Bayway to lead to their whole scale replacement, due to the overwhelming cost as you wrote

Quote from: froggie on June 17, 2013, 02:23:02 AM

QuoteWidening is needed, yet here we are in 2013 with just four lanes and traffic counts of 62,000 vpd.

Which really isn't all that high for a 4-lane urban freeway.  General, planning-level capacity for a 4-lane urban freeway is in the 75-80K range.

The 2011 vpd was lower than I expected, but unfortunately evening commutes along the Bayway eastbound often consist of sluggish traffic now. This wasn't the case ten years ago outside of a traffic incident, but it is now. Baldwin has ranked as either the fastest or one of the fasted growing counties in Alabama in recent years. Development is expected to continue as more residents leave Mobile County for the commute to new housing on the Eastern Shore.

The estimated costs for the new bridge are now up to $850 million!

I-10/Mobile River Bridge conversations continue, permits could be sought in early 2014 (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/07/i-10mobile_river_bridge_conver.html#incart_river)

Quote from: Alex on July 23, 2013, 09:56:17 PM
The estimated costs for the new bridge are now up to $850 million!

I-10/Mobile River Bridge conversations continue, permits could be sought in early 2014 (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/07/i-10mobile_river_bridge_conver.html#incart_river)

And the longer they drag their feet, the higher its gonna get.

Down here in the area for the next few days.  Anything I should see while I am down here?

Quote from: jdb1234 on October 01, 2013, 05:59:01 PM
Down here in the area for the next few days.  Anything I should see while I am down here?

The Baldwin Beach Express extension and new interchange with I-10.

Widening of I-10 from Exit 17 west to beyond Exit 15, though it may be completed now.

Schillenger Road widening.

Quote from: Alex on October 01, 2013, 10:48:04 PM

Quote from: jdb1234 on October 01, 2013, 05:59:01 PM
Down here in the area for the next few days.  Anything I should see while I am down here?

The Baldwin Beach Express extension and new interchange with I-10.

Widening of I-10 from Exit 17 west to beyond Exit 15, though it may be completed now.

Schillenger Road widening.

I am over in Baldwin County so I may check out the Baldwin Beach Express.

Tanner Williams Road to experience delays starting Monday (http://blog.al.com/live/2013/10/tanner_williams_road_to_experi.html#incart_river)

QuoteThe work is related to the design phase of a future widening project to make the road more accessible and safe.

Quote from: roadwarrior on June 04, 2013, 09:44:00 PM
http://www.wkrg.com/story/22488245/new-highway-98-86-million-spent-decade-to-go
Article on stalled US 98 expansion from WKRG

Quote from: Alex on November 20, 2013, 12:54:02 PM
Sounds like ALDOT with the U.S. 98 bypass of Semmes in Mobile County. They made headway then a lawsuit halted work and now they have no funds to complete it.

(above quote from Construction begins on South Greenville, MS freeway (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3568.msg260241#msg260241) thread)

This Feb. 27 video report (http://www.wkrg.com/story/24845847/aldot-awaits-funding-for-hwy-98-project) includes some footage of the dormant project (including the bridge at the Mississippi state line) and reports that it may be slowly stirring to life, with ALDOT's intermediate goal being to complete two lanes from the state line to the existing AL 158:

Quote
Hwy 98 is a main thoroughfare for tractor-trailers making their way from Mississippi to Interstate 65. The highway is what some may call accident prone - some people escape with their lives, others aren't so fortunate ....
The Alabama Department of Transportation has been working to finish building a new highway that will ease traffic. It will be called State Road 158 extension.
Part of the highway has already been completed. ALDOT says it will pick up construction, and extend it west to the Mississippi state line.
"Because of funding limitations we've kinda created smaller projects that we feel we can get let to construction or put the bids out. Let the contractors bid on it and we actually start construction on it. We are hoping to get the first project let sometime in 2014. We are starting to acquire right or way and depending on how that goes," said Don Powell, the Southwest Region Reconstruction Engineer for ALDOT.
Powell says a lack of state funding stalled construction.
"We need more and it's a Federal funding bill. It goes back to the gasoline tax which is where we get most of our funding. The fact that there hasn't been an increase in the gas tax since 92, and roughly Americans don't drive as many miles and vehicles are becoming more efficient daily," he said.
He hopes by breaking the project into smaller ones, funding will come sooner.
"Our first project is going to go from Schillinger Road to Lott Road. We are going to grade and drain for four lanes, but we are going to only base and pave two. What our goal is because of funding limitations is to get two lanes open from the Mississippi line to existing 158 to allow the truck traffic and the through traffic to use new 98 and then the local traffic on existing 98," said Powell.
The first project will cost approximately 20 million dollars.
The length of the entire new highway is 12 and a half miles and the entire project will cost approximately 150 million dollars. If the state funding comes through soon, ALDOT says it will be ready to construct by the end of the year.

^ Sounds like ALDOT is taking a page from the AHTD playbook.

Quote from: Grzrd on March 04, 2014, 10:57:27 PM

Quote from: roadwarrior on June 04, 2013, 09:44:00 PM
http://www.wkrg.com/story/22488245/new-highway-98-86-million-spent-decade-to-go
Article on stalled US 98 expansion from WKRG

Quote from: Alex on November 20, 2013, 12:54:02 PM
Sounds like ALDOT with the U.S. 98 bypass of Semmes in Mobile County. They made headway then a lawsuit halted work and now they have no funds to complete it.

(above quote from Construction begins on South Greenville, MS freeway (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3568.msg260241#msg260241) thread)

This Feb. 27 video report (http://www.wkrg.com/story/24845847/aldot-awaits-funding-for-hwy-98-project) includes some footage of the dormant project (including the bridge at the Mississippi state line) and reports that it may be slowly stirring to life, with ALDOT's intermediate goal being to complete two lanes from the state line to the existing AL 158:

Quote
Hwy 98 is a main thoroughfare for tractor-trailers making their way from Mississippi to Interstate 65. The highway is what some may call accident prone - some people escape with their lives, others aren't so fortunate ....
The Alabama Department of Transportation has been working to finish building a new highway that will ease traffic. It will be called State Road 158 extension.
Part of the highway has already been completed. ALDOT says it will pick up construction, and extend it west to the Mississippi state line.
"Because of funding limitations we've kinda created smaller projects that we feel we can get let to construction or put the bids out. Let the contractors bid on it and we actually start construction on it. We are hoping to get the first project let sometime in 2014. We are starting to acquire right or way and depending on how that goes," said Don Powell, the Southwest Region Reconstruction Engineer for ALDOT.
Powell says a lack of state funding stalled construction.
"We need more and it's a Federal funding bill. It goes back to the gasoline tax which is where we get most of our funding. The fact that there hasn't been an increase in the gas tax since 92, and roughly Americans don't drive as many miles and vehicles are becoming more efficient daily," he said.
He hopes by breaking the project into smaller ones, funding will come sooner.
"Our first project is going to go from Schillinger Road to Lott Road. We are going to grade and drain for four lanes, but we are going to only base and pave two. What our goal is because of funding limitations is to get two lanes open from the Mississippi line to existing 158 to allow the truck traffic and the through traffic to use new 98 and then the local traffic on existing 98," said Powell.
The first project will cost approximately 20 million dollars.
The length of the entire new highway is 12 and a half miles and the entire project will cost approximately 150 million dollars. If the state funding comes through soon, ALDOT says it will be ready to construct by the end of the year.

Suppose I'll take it.  At least something will be complete and some of the gravel pathways that have already been built will be used.  Should get the entire road a little closer to being completed. 

Resurfacing project from west end of Wallace Tunnel to Halls Mill Creek to begin April 21 (http://blog.al.com/live/2014/04/resurfacing_project_from_west.html)

QuoteApril 21 will mark the beginning of an Alabama Department of Transportation  I-10 resurfacing project from the west end of the Wallace Tunnel to east of Halls Mill Creek.

In addition to resurfacing, crews will remove the non-functioning pedestrian bridge between Texas Street and Canal Street, raise the bridge over I-10 at Michigan Avenue to provide adequate clearance and make guardrail and bridge safety improvements.

A large portion of the work on the 8.7 mile project will be done at night to limit traffic disruptions. Nighttime lane closures will be restricted to Sunday-Thursday and will be announced in advance on message boards.

The project is estimated to finish in July 2015.

Glad to read that the closed pedestrian bridge at Texas Street is finally being removed:

(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama010/i-010_wb_exit_025a_03.jpg) (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama010/i-010_wb_exit_025a_03.jpg)

Check out what the I-10 bridge over Mobile could look like (http://blog.al.com/live/2014/05/check_out_what_the_i-10_bridge.html)

QuoteThe project is not finalized and a route has not been agreed on.

The most popular option is called Route B prime.

Route B prime would run just south of the Alabama Cruise Terminal, include the possible addition of footings on Austal USA's property and terminate just north of the Alabama Industrial Development Training program's Maritime Training Center, feeding directly into the existing bayway, according to Press Register archives.

Congressman Byrne calls proposed I-10/Mobile River Bridge a 'national priority'; says inaction endangers public safety, economic development (http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/congressman_byrne_calls_propos.html#incart_river)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama — U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne called construction of an Interstsate-10 bridge over the Mobile River a "national priority"  and said he has "thrown a stick in the sand"  asking the Federal Highway Administration to release the project's draft environmental impact study by July 1 or provide a concrete reason for its continued delay.

Quote from: Alex on May 12, 2014, 08:57:36 PM
Congressman Byrne calls proposed I-10/Mobile River Bridge a 'national priority'; says inaction endangers public safety, economic development (http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2014/05/congressman_byrne_calls_propos.html#incart_river)

QuoteMOBILE, Alabama — U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne called construction of an Interstsate-10 bridge over the Mobile River a "national priority"  and said he has "thrown a stick in the sand"  asking the Federal Highway Administration to release the project's draft environmental impact study by July 1 or provide a concrete reason for its continued delay.

I'd love to see where the money is going to come from to build this bridge. ALDOT, or many other state DOTs, are not exactly rolling in dough these days.

Drove out to Baldwin two days ago to see progress on the Baldwin Beach Express / County Road 83.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BoMHfzLIYAAq9nm.jpg) (https://twitter.com/AARoads/status/469227030798925824/photo/1)

The mainline south of U.S. 90 is still not open to traffic, but appears to be ready whenever they get around to striping it.

Further north, CR 83 shields are consistently posted now, including on several side roads. The future southbound lanes are now open between CR 64 and CR 68 at the future I-10 interchange. They carry two-way traffic while the northbound carriageway is still needing final pavement.

The ramps for I-10 are graded but not yet paved. There is a new overpass to the west of the existing CR 68 bridge carrying dual traffic (two lanes with full shoulders). Seems likely the existing bridge will be demolished and replaced as traffic demands warrant later.

Please let funding never accrue for this project.

Federal highway fund shortfall could delay Mobile's I-10 interchange project (http://blog.al.com/live/2014/05/federal_highway_fund_shortfall.html#incart_river)

QuoteA reconfiguration of Interstate 10 interchanges leading to and from the Wallace Tunnel in downtown Mobile depends on how Washington, D.C. resolves a potential crisis with the Highway Trust Fund.

The fund that pays for highway and infrastructure work, and is supported by gasoline taxes, is supposed to run out of money by the end of summer.

QuoteThe approximately $30 million reconfiguration to the ramps leading to I-10 will be 80 percent funded by the federal government; 20 percent funded by the state.

If funding is available, the project is scheduled to be out for bids by early 2015. Construction would then begin later in the year, and Calametti said it could take two years to complete.

He said there will always be at least two lanes of I-10 opened during construction.

"With the Highway Trust Fund ... if that is resolved, (the project) should go the first of the year," Calametti said.

ALDOT: 1 lane of NB I-65 bridge in Mobile, Baldwin counties to reopen by Sunday (http://blog.al.com/live/2014/05/aldot_1_lane_of_nb_i-65_bridge.html)

QuoteThe Alabama Department of Transportation expects to reopen one lane of northbound traffic on the General W.K. Wilson Bridge on Sunday, three days after the bridge was partially damaged by a fatal crash and subsequent fire.

ALDOT Director John Cooper said one girder was damaged by extreme heat from the burning plastics which melted out of one of the two 18-wheeler trucks involved in the crash. The other vehicle carried petroleum.

"Bridges are constructed of steel and concrete and both of those have some susceptibility to extreme heat," Cooper said. "If you expose either one of those to extreme heat there is some risk of damage."

Officials expect one northbound lane of Interstate 65 between exits 19 and 31 to reopen by or before 3 p.m. Sunday. Final repairs are not expected to be completed until later.

Portion of Baldwin Beach Express to open Thursday (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/06/portion_of_baldwin_beach_expre.html)

QuoteA seven-mile southbound stretch of the Baldwin Beach Express that will allow motorists to travel between U.S. 90 and the Foley Beach Express is slated to open Thursday.

QuoteThe Baldwin Beach Express is a 13-mile highway that will run from Interstate 10 to the Foley Beach Express when the entire road is finished.

The cost of the highway is about $85 million. It is expected to be finished sometime between late July and mid-August, Markert said.

The highway was expected to be completed this spring, but flooding in late April caused a delay in the construction.

When the project is finished, it will include an interchange that will feed traffic onto the Baldwin Beach Express from I-10.

New 'roundabout' road feature coming to Three Notch Road, Dawes Lane (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/06/new_roundabout_road_feature_co.html#incart_river)

QuoteMobile County recently started work on the county's second roundabout at the intersection of Three Notch Road, Dawes Lane and Dawes Lane Extension according to Mobile County spokeswoman Nancy Johnson.

The $536,000 intersection project for the one-lane roundabout will take up to seven months to complete. Detours will be in place and motorists are asked to exercise caution in the area.

Mobile County was the first county in the State of Alabama to receive federal dollars for construction of a roundabout under the High Risk Rural Road Program. It led to the construction of the roundabout at Grelot and Cody Roads.

The county had sought funding for the Three Notch and Dawes intersection to reduce the numbers of right angle crashes that occurred there and will receive federal assistance through the Federal Highway Safety Administration.   

So Dawes Lane will have a roundabout with itself and Three Notch Road?  :bigass:

The EIS on the I-10 Mobile River Bridge is expected to hit sometime this week or next week: http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/07/long-awaited_i-10_bridge_envio.html

Apparently the EIS has still not been released on the proposed I-10 Mobile River Bridge: http://fox10tv.com/2014/07/21/proposed-i-10-brigde-project-at-a-stand-still/

Another delay for I-10 (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/07/another_delay_for_i-10.html#incart_river)

QuoteThe public release date on a 2,000-page report on the proposed Interstate 10 bridge in Mobile is -- much like a Friday afternoon rush hour traffic jam on the nearby Bayway -- backed up.

State transportation officials say the wait shouldn't be much longer.

QuoteHamlett said a 45-day comment period officially kicks in once the study is posted on the Federal Register. She said the state doesn't anticipate doing that until Aug. 8.

Hamlett said that ALDOT is scheduling public meetings in Mobile and Baldwin counties for late September.

I wonder what the number of the existing I-10 through the tunnel will become after the bridge is built, if it is ever built? I could see it being a 3di loop like I-210 or I-410, but, then again, ALDOT may just redesignate it as a state route.

Or, if the bridge ends up being tolled, then I could see the bridge being "TOLL I-10" while the tunnel remains I-10, like what Texas is doing with their toll lanes, but applied to an entire new route.

Quote from: codyg1985 on July 28, 2014, 05:40:01 PM
I wonder what the number of the existing I-10 through the tunnel will become after the bridge is built, if it is ever built? I could see it being a 3di loop like I-210 or I-410, but, then again, ALDOT may just redesignate it as a state route.

Or, if the bridge ends up being tolled, then I could see the bridge being "TOLL I-10" while the tunnel remains I-10, like what Texas is doing with their toll lanes, but applied to an entire new route.

I asked an ALDOT engineer that back in 2003. They had not thought that far ahead, but I-210 or Business Loop I-10 were concepts we discussed.

I-10 East ramp at Battleship Parkway closed for 6 to 8 weeks (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/07/i-10_east_ramp_at_battleship_p.html#incart_river)

QuoteAn on-ramp from Battleship Parkway to Interstate 10 East will be closed six to eight weeks after its surface was damaged Thursday when a tanker truck exploded.

Not sure if this is the ramp immediately east of the Bankhead Tunnel or the one at the mid point of the Bayway. Either way, the ramp near the tunnel was out of commission for a long time due to a truck accident years ago and the one at the midpoint was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and similarly shut down for a period of time.

When the western most on-ramp was closed, all traffic had to use the first three miles of Battleship Parkway to access I-10 east. This is still the case if you travel from the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge southward. Access was restricted to the tunnel when that ramp reopened.

---

Edit... From the ALDOT twitter feed, its the on-ramp at the mid-point of the Causeway, meaning that if you take US 90 across the Cochrane-Africatown Bridge, you have to wait until the on-ramp in Daphne.

QuoteALDOT Mobile Area ‏@ALDOTMobileArea  3h
EB US 90/98 travelers from the Cochrane Bridge will have to remain on US 90/98 and access I-10 in Daphne until further notice.

And now a longtime Mobile lawyer is thinking about suing to stop the I-10 bridge from being built.  Does this guy realize that something is needed to solve the traffic problems?  http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/08/i-10_bridge_project_could_face.html#incart_river

The eastbound on-ramp at the Bankhead Tunnel exit was reconfigured to allow access from U.S. 90 & U.S. 98 Truck east from Cochrane Causeway. This restores the ramp to its original configuration, albeit temporarily until the mid-point on-ramp re-opens in 6 to 8 weeks.

Temporary traffic control opens on-ramp to U.S. 90/98 drivers, exit 30 ramp remains closed (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/08/temporary_traffic_control_open.html#incart_river)

QuoteDrivers taking U.S. Highway 90/98 from Mobile into Baldwin County can get onto Jubilee Parkway using the on-ramp on the eastern side of the Bankhead Tunnel, according to the Department of Transportation.

Temporary traffic control was set up on Friday afternoon, one day after a fiery tanker truck explosion damaged the Interstate 10 East on-ramp at exit 30. The damaged ramp usually carries motorists traveling on U.S. 90/98.

---

Another group expresses concern for the impact of the potential new bridge for Interstate 10...

Historic church has concerns about proposed I-10 Mobile River Bridge (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/08/historic_church_has_concerns_a.html#incart_river)

Anyone see this site?

www.mobileriverbridge.com (http://www.mobileriverbridge.com)

It was linked in the Times-Picayune today.

Quote from: Alex on July 28, 2014, 07:05:18 PM

Quote from: codyg1985 on July 28, 2014, 05:40:01 PM
I wonder what the number of the existing I-10 through the tunnel will become after the bridge is built, if it is ever built? I could see it being a 3di loop like I-210 or I-410, but, then again, ALDOT may just redesignate it as a state route.

Or, if the bridge ends up being tolled, then I could see the bridge being "TOLL I-10" while the tunnel remains I-10, like what Texas is doing with their toll lanes, but applied to an entire new route.

I asked an ALDOT engineer that back in 2003. They had not thought that far ahead, but I-210 or Business Loop I-10 were concepts we discussed.

Any thought that the old route through the tunnel might be downgraded to surface street or express boulevard with traffic lights in the business loop scenario? Or are the plans to keep it a freeway, perhaps restricted in some way for certain types of traffic?

Quote from: andy3175 on August 04, 2014, 01:03:53 AM

Quote from: Alex on July 28, 2014, 07:05:18 PM

Quote from: codyg1985 on July 28, 2014, 05:40:01 PM
I wonder what the number of the existing I-10 through the tunnel will become after the bridge is built, if it is ever built? I could see it being a 3di loop like I-210 or I-410, but, then again, ALDOT may just redesignate it as a state route.

Or, if the bridge ends up being tolled, then I could see the bridge being "TOLL I-10" while the tunnel remains I-10, like what Texas is doing with their toll lanes, but applied to an entire new route.

I asked an ALDOT engineer that back in 2003. They had not thought that far ahead, but I-210 or Business Loop I-10 were concepts we discussed.

Any thought that the old route through the tunnel might be downgraded to surface street or express boulevard with traffic lights in the business loop scenario? Or are the plans to keep it a freeway, perhaps restricted in some way for certain types of traffic?

Definitely will remain limited access, especially with the interim plan to change the Canal Street interchange to a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) and remove the Water Street flyovers.

Baldwin Beach Express set to open next week (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/08/baldwin_beach_express_set_open.html#incart_river)

QuoteThe four-lane, $85 million Baldwin Beach Express is set to open next week.

The Alabama Department of Transportation is planning a ribbon cutting ceremony for 2:15 p.m. Aug. 15, said Cal Markert, Baldwin County engineer.

Baldwin Beach Express: 'A nice glide through Baldwin County' (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/08/baldwin_beach_express_a_nice_g.html)

QuoteThe last part of the project to be completed and opened is an I-10 interchange. A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the entire $86.7 million, four-lane road has been planned for 2:15 p.m. Friday near the interchange.

Will Labor Day weekend mean traffic galore for Baldwin Beach Express? (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/08/will_big_tourist_weekend_mean.html#incart_river)

QuoteBaldwin County Engineer Cal Markert isn't sure the Labor Day holiday weekend will mean lots of traffic for the Baldwin Beach Express.

Markert said the new four-lane highway is showing up on Google maps, but other companies have been slow to put the road on their mapping systems.

"We really tried to get that on there several months ago," he said earlier this week. "It's taking longer than you'd think, so I really don't know what to expect."

'We need help': Some traffic relief on horizon in Orange Beach but long-term solutions remain elusive: http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/09/we_need_help_some_traffic_reli.html

QuoteLong-term projects such as the proposed cross-island connector and Wolf Bay bridge remain priorities for the city, but they lack funding beyond Orange Beach. Still, some short-term relief for Canal Road was announced by state highway officials at the Tuesday gathering.

I cannot see tolls working here. The Wallace Tunnel would have to see the implementation of tolls as well for it to work, and the Bankhead would likely be overrun with traffic if it remained the sole free route into Downtown Mobile.

Toll charge on I-10 Bridge viewed by local mayors and county commissioners as viable alternative in financing massive project (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2014/09/toll_charge_on_i-10_bridge_vie.html#incart_river)

Unless you tolled the Bankhead as well.  Tolling all three (Bankhead/Wallace/new bridge) would reduce traffic a fair bit, and the Cochrane-Africatown bridge is better able to handle whatever diversion flow there would be as a result.

Let's face it, though.  The real reason there's a traffic problem at the Wallace Tunnel is rampant development in Baldwin County.  If those Baldwin County folks don't want to pay for a new bridge, whether by gas tax or tolls or whatnot (as indicated by the local Congressman's opposition), then there shouldn't be a new bridge, and they can stew in their own traffic.  The days of "getting something for nothing" are long over.

Drove the completed Baldwin Beach Express last week. All signs for County Road 83 along it were removed. The route is now shielded with green mini guide signs spelling out the name complete with a green directional banner:

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/baldwin_bch_exp.jpg)

Unfortunately they also constructed a new frontage road spurring east from the BBE north end along the eastbound side of I-10. I read on the Mobile Register that a portion of land at the north end interchange is already slated for traveler service style development. So much for preserving the corridor for through traffic.

Traffic lights along the route are at U.S. 90 and at the south end where it meets the Foley Beach Express.

---

Adding more to a tweet (https://twitter.com/AARoads/status/536674447118598145) I made on Sunday night, Clearview based signs for Orange Beach and Gulf Shores start on U.S. 98 east ahead of I-65, directing motorists onto I-65 north to I-165 south to U.S. 90/98 Truck east to Battleship Parkway.

The damaged ramp at the midpoint Bayway interchange was repaired, so now motorists on U.S. 90/98 Truck must continue to that on-ramp instead of using the one at the Bankhead Tunnel.

Quote from: Alex on November 27, 2014, 08:37:37 AM
Adding more to a tweet (https://twitter.com/AARoads/status/536674447118598145) I made on Sunday night, Clearview based signs for Orange Beach and Gulf Shores start on U.S. 98 east ahead of I-65, directing motorists onto I-65 north to I-165 south to U.S. 90/98 Truck east to Battleship Parkway.

Did you manage to get any photos?

Quote from: codyg1985 on November 30, 2014, 03:07:08 PM

Quote from: Alex on November 27, 2014, 08:37:37 AM
Adding more to a tweet (https://twitter.com/AARoads/status/536674447118598145) I made on Sunday night, Clearview based signs for Orange Beach and Gulf Shores start on U.S. 98 east ahead of I-65, directing motorists onto I-65 north to I-165 south to U.S. 90/98 Truck east to Battleship Parkway.

Did you manage to get any photos?

Took photos of the signs on US 98 east on my way back to Pensacola. The rest I saw at night on a previous drive over to Mobile.

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-098_eb_app_i-065.jpg)

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-098_eb_at_i-065_01.jpg)

(//www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/us-098_eb_at_i-065_02.jpg)

---

Also forgot to mention, but a new traffic light went up along Alabama 158 (Industrial Parkway) west of I-65 and the split with Alabama 213 (Shelton Beach Road). The I-65 service road was realigned to a new intersection (https://www.google.com/maps/@30.8046873,-88.1073981,1019m/data=!3m1!1e3).

I remember the first time I saw the Baldwin Beach Express on Google Maps in the past year. I remember being confused when I saw it was designated as a county road (Co. Road 83), and due to that, and the fact I never remembered seeing the expressway-looking road before, I did some digging. After looking at the area on the map, and looking at Street view both new & old, I knew sure enough they had quite a project going on. Thanks for the update on the Baldwin Beach Express, Alex. Hopefully sometime in the near future the whole entire road will have street-view, as well as its interchange with I-10, so I can see what it looks like. Also, nice photos.

Quote from: adventurernumber1 on November 30, 2014, 11:41:36 PM
I remember the first time I saw the Baldwin Beach Express on Google Maps in the past year. I remember being confused when I saw it was designated as a county road (Co. Road 83), and due to that, and the fact I never remembered seeing the expressway-looking road before, I did some digging. After looking at the area on the map, and looking at Street view both new & old, I knew sure enough they had quite a project going on. Thanks for the update on the Baldwin Beach Express, Alex. Hopefully sometime in the near future the whole entire road will have street-view, as well as its interchange with I-10, so I can see what it looks like. Also, nice photos.

I'll be updating our guides on it this week with photos from end to end.

https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=fbeal

Thankfully the 45 mph speed limits on the original northern portion were upped to 55 mph.
The original span for CR 68 over I-10 was retained for the Baldwin Beach Express northbound. Pentagons are posted for CR 68, as the road remains signed both north of I-10 and west from the BBE.

I split the new Baldwin Beach Express photos away from the Foley Beach Express guide onto separate pages:
Northbound (https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=bbenaal)
Southbound (https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=bbesaal)

All of the old photos were reorganized and posted on a revised archive page. (https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=fbeaal)

Also did some more research with newsbank on the history of the Foley Beach Express and updated the main page (https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=fbeal).

---

Will have a few updated photos on the Foley Beach Express showing the now-signalized intersection with the Baldwin Beach Express in my next update.

The first of many more I am sure...

Amid concerns about mounting crashes, Baldwin County officials endorse new traffic light at Baldwin Beach Express and County Road 32 (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/01/amid_concerns_about_mounting_c.html)

QuoteThe Baldwin County Commission, aware that the intersection of the Express with County Road 32 has led to some devastating crashes, unanimously approved a competitive bid process for installing a new, hurricane-proof traffic signal.

The approximately $200,000 project includes the installation of traffic poles and lights on a permanent display that will replace temporary traffic lights that are hanged on wiring.

The current lights include a flashing yellow light along the Baldwin Beach Express, and flashing red lights on County Road 32.

County Engineer Cal Markert said the county plans to install temporary traffic signals on the Baldwin Beach Express and County Road 32 that will include red lights in both directions, within three to four months.

He said it will take "four to six months" for the poles to get made, delivered and installed.

Fast-track design phase on the I-10 Mobile River Bridge project viewed as 'enormous step forward' (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/02/fast-track_design_phase_on_the.html)

Baldwin County officials seek state legislation to preserve the Beach Express and avoid turning it into the second coming of Ala. 59 (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/02/baldwin_county_officials_seek.html#incart_river)

QuoteBaldwin County officials, however, want to avoid making it a cluttered commercial corridor where traffic lights, curb cuts and other features -- if added -- could turn the Beach Express into the second coming of Ala. 59 or Airport Boulevard.

"The concern we have with the Beach Express is that it remains as an express to get people in and out of here and we don't want it to slow down for convenient stores and traffic lights and too much other stuff going on," Commissioner Tucker Dorsey said.

Dorsey and others have said that part of the problem with Ala. 59 is that multiple government jurisdictions, over the years, annexed portions of the road into their communities, added traffic lights and commercial developments.

QuoteMeanwhile, the county plans to adhere to its access management plan for the entire road, which limits access points for commercial developments to service roads.

Dorsey said the proposed extension from I-10 to I-65 will be designed "like an interstate" with limited access.

Robertsdale Mayor Charles Murphy said the only certain way to make sure the Beach Express is not encroached upon by local municipalities is to "give it to the state" where the Alabama Department of Transportation would be charged with maintaining it.

They should have made it a full freeway if they wanted to control access.

The point is that there are access management categories between full freeway and suburban hell.

There are, but Alabama has never done very good with any of those intermediate categories...

I-10 resurfacing work to begin next week with overnight lane closures expected until 2016 (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/02/i-10_resurfacing_work_to_begin.html#incart_river)

QuoteThe scope includes resurfacing the interstate lanes, shoulders and ramps. It also includes a signal upgrade at U.S. 90/98 in Daphne, Ala. 181 and the Ala. 59 intersections. The 9.22 mile project ends at Ala. 59.

The project will be overseen by a local company. A $14.8 million low bid was awarded by the state to Mobile Asphalt Co. LLC of Theodore.

The speed limit through the project area will only be lowered during the temporary lane closures, which are restricted to overnight hours from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday-Thursday. The project is expected to last until summer 2016.

Traffic to be detoured Tuesday from County roads 13 and 64 in Baldwin County because of roundabout construction (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/03/roundabout_construction_leadin.html#incart_river)

QuoteThe intersection is where a roundabout will be under construction. The new structure is expected to alleviate some of the traffic congestion along the two intersecting roads.

QuoteThe estimated $1.4 million project is a collaboration between the Baldwin County Commission and the city of Daphne.

A grant through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program -- better known as ATRIP -- will cover 80 percent of the cost; the city and county are splitting the remaining $672,000 in construction, design and engineering costs.

This doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

ALDOT to analyze feasibilty of tolling I-10 Bridge (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/04/aldot_study_paid_by_taxpayers.html)

With the reality that is transportation funding, I can tolling as the only feasibly way to get this thing built. Now, for the kicker. Will it just be the bridge that will be tolled, or will the widened bayway also be tolled? The firm doing the study also did a study for a toll bridge in Decatur as well as making AL 20 a freeway between the new bridge and I-565, and they recommended making the existing AL 20 tolled as well.

Federal law's pretty tight about tolling existing free Interstates, but the law is a lot looser when it comes to bridges and tunnels.  So it's quite possible that a widened Bayway could be tolled as the Bayway is basically a long bridge (unlike 90/98 which is mostly causeway).

Diamond in the rough: Exotic interchange could be coming to Ala. 181 and I-10 in Baldwin County:

http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/05/diamond_in_the_rough_exotic_in.html

Detour-driven traffic headaches end in Daphne with opening of new roundabout (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2015/08/detour-driven_traffic_headache.html#incart_river)

QuoteFive months of construction, over a month of detour-driven headaches and $1.7 million made way for the opening of a new roundabout on Wednesday morning at the intersection of Baldwin County 64 and 13 in Daphne.

QuoteThe busy intersection, west of Alabama 181, which sees roughly 20,000 cars a day, had been closed since July 7 and construction has been ongoing since mid-March.

QuoteTwo more roundabouts are planned on Baldwin County 13 in Fairhope. The first one at the intersection of Fairhope Avenue is expected to cost about $1.4 million and the second one at the Gayfer Road Extension/Baldwin County 30 is pegged at $1 million. Both will also benefit from ATRIP grants with matching funds split between Fairhope and the county.

Baldwin County Engineer Cal Markert said crews are expected to begin moving utilities for the Fairhope Avenue/13 traffic circle in the fall or early winter months with construction starting by the summer of 2016. The timeline remains fluid though, he said. A previous estimate pegged it to open in the summer.

The new Mobile River bridge and expanded Bayway can't come soon enough. Heavy traffic and 40 mph across the Bayway yesterday. Not stop and go, just flat out volume. When they do widen the crossing, they need to extend the added lanes to at least AL 181 too.

Also noted a new Beaches mileage sign installed listing both AL 59 and the Baldwin Beach Express.  Resurfacing is also underway along this stretch with a 55 MPH speed limit noone followed.

A bit of road news from this article about the continued population boon in Baldwin County. The BP settlement referenced below also includes money for building more of the new U.S. 98 alignment between Wilmer and Semmes..

Why Baldwin County is Alabama's undisputed king of growth
(http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2016/04/why_baldwin_county_is_alabamas.html#incart_river_index)

QuoteBaldwin leaders and lawmakers are pushing for funding to extend the Baldwin Beach Express from Interstate 10 to I-65, creating a wide new path for beach-bound families. The first 12.8 miles of the new road opened in 2014, linking the Orange Beach/Gulf Shores and I-10.

The full Beach Express' construction is included in a bill, sponsored by state Sen. Bill Hightower, R-Mobile. That bill would divert some of the state's $1 billion economic settlement in the BP oil spill case toward funding the construction of the 24.5-mile extension.

County and city officials are also looking at ways to ease pressure on U.S. 98 and Alabama 181 on the Eastern Shore. For U.S. 98, a synchronized traffic light plan is being offered. For Alabama 181, a $3.5 million redesign of its I-10 intersection is in the planning stages [This is a planned DDI].

Say goodbye to Park Road 2. The popular cut through road and uniquely signed route was closed for good.

(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama001/pr-002_eb_begin.jpg)

A one time reassurance marker for Park Road 2 - photographed May 16, 2004.

State stuns mayor, slams door on road to Gulf State Park (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2016/04/state_stuns_mayor_slams_door_o.html#incart_river_index)

QuoteOn Monday, the state startled the city by shutting a 1-1/2 mile portion of State Park Road 2. "It was almost in the dark of the night they closed the road," Craft said.

QuotePark officials, in a statement from project manager Jill Allen Dixon of Sasaki Associates, said the closure is related to the conversion of the roadway into a "vehicle-free path for pedestrians, cyclists and the future park tram and emergency vehicles."

She said the change is part of the Gulf State Park master plan developed, in part, through the project's executive director, Cooper Shattuck.

QuoteBentley spokeswoman Jennifer Ardis, in an emailed statement, said State Park Road 2 wasn't designed nor meant to be a major thoroughfare. "This closure was part of the master planning process," she said. "It was presented on the boards at every public meeting over several months. It has been embraced and applauded by users and anticipated users of the park. The few cars that traveled this road as a 'cut through' can easily take another route and not be affected."

QuoteBut Craft said it was his understanding that the road's closure would be included during the project's second phase. He was surprised to learn that it was happening immediately.

And he said that State Park Road 2, despite Ardis' comments, was popularly used by local motorists to avoid tourism traffic and congestion along Beach Boulevard. He described the road as "very convenient."

Baldwin officials debate which road projects will get BP money (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2016/05/baldwin_officials_debate_which.html#incart_river_index)

QuoteA potential infusion of BP money for coastal road projects might help pay for the widening of Canal Road in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores or Ala. 181 in Daphne south toward U.S. 98.

But a proponent of the House bill, approved late Thursday, says the money remains dedicated for its original intent: An extension of the Baldwin Beach Express and the construction of a U.S. 98 express route from Bayou La Batre to Semmes.

Bayou La Batre must be a typo and the express route likely refers to the new alignment north of Wilmer and Semmes instead.

QuoteRep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, said Friday that the "Baldwin Beach Express is still the goal" and that local lawmakers haven't wavered from it. He acknowledged that the $191 million in combined money going to Mobile and Baldwin counties won't be enough to build a new 24.5-mile road from Interstate 10 at Loxley to Interstate 65.

QuoteEven $260 million wouldn't be enough to fully finish the Beach Express and U.S. 98 projects.

According to estimates submitted to the Alabama Gulf Coast Recovery Council, the Beach Express' entire cost is estimated at $202 million, while the U.S. 98 extension would cost $265 million.

Hmm, that is $8 million per mile for the Baldwin Beach Express. Wonder if that means it would be a freeway?

These days?  Doubtful, especially given the topography, hills, and wetlands.  Look at the cost to finish 98...and that is NOT going to be freeway.

ALDOT is proposing to close the Water Street on-ramp to Interstate 10 east and redirecting traffic along Claiborne Street west to the Texas Street half diamond interchange to access the freeway there. The main aspect addressed is the instant merge of traffic from Downtown into the eastbound portal of the Wallace Tunnel.

(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama999/water_st_sb_at_i-010.jpg)

If approved, the ramp to the right here for I-10 east will be closed, with work starting by late 2016 or early 2017.

Should eastbound I-10 on-ramp at Water Street be closed? ALDOT taking comments (//http://?%20ALDOT%20taking%20comments)

QuoteCurrently, eastbound drivers starting at the foot of Government Street take a single lane that curves sharply to the right, ending with a merge onto I-10 in the middle of a turn taking interstate traffic into the tunnel. The new concept would close that on-ramp completely, though not demolish it.
ALDOT Water Street plan.jpgIn this ALDOT illustration, the red arc shows the current on-ramp from Water Street to eastbound I-10, which would be closed. The hook-shaped blue line shows the suggested path of tunnel traffic along Claiborne Street to Texas Street, where it would turn back toward downtown and merge onto I-10 using a straight ramp. (Courtesy of ALDOT)

Instead, drivers would stay at ground level, taking two lanes of Water Street under the interstate and past the cruise terminal, curving around the bend onto Canal Street and back under I-10. At the intersection with Claiborne, drivers would turn left and follow Claiborne along two existing lanes all the way down to Texas Street, a run uninterrupted by lights, stop signs or cross traffic. The Texas-Claiborne intersection will be reconfigured so that drivers coming down Claiborne can turn left without crossing Texas Street traffic, looping under the interstate to come up a long, straight on-ramp on the other side.

Looks like that link above is broken.

Try this one:

http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2016/06/should_eastbound_i-10_on-ramp.html

Are there any plans in place for extending the Foley Beach Express to AL 182? It appears the ROW exists to extend it.

I wouldn't mind the toll, if the road actually served its destination.

ALDOT has plans to build a new road starting from the Foley Beach Express north of the toll bridge and going southwest and along a new bridge across the waterway and connect to AL 180.  Phase two would construct a road from there through the state park to AL 182.  But many are not happy of this route and thinks this is the normal "good ole boys" politics at play on this new road and bridge.  I mean what is wrong building a new route from the existing Foley Beach Express intersection with AL 180?  Anyways you can read the article from Lagniappe Mobile.  http://lagniappemobile.com/orange-beach-unveils-proposed-route-28-million-bridge/ (http://lagniappemobile.com/orange-beach-unveils-proposed-route-28-million-bridge/)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flagniappemobile.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F11%2FOBnap-336x449.jpg&hash=4ce0df979452e8695c87d3dbed343cfba2e7f109)

Quote from: barcncpt44 on June 15, 2016, 07:06:51 PM
ALDOT has plans to build a new road starting from the Foley Beach Express north of the toll bridge and going southwest and along a new bridge across the waterway and connect to AL 180.  Phase two would construct a road from there through the state park to AL 182.  But many are not happy of this route and thinks this is the normal "good ole boys" politics at play on this new road and bridge.  I mean what is wrong building a new route from the existing Foley Beach Express intersection with AL 180?  Anyways you can read the article from Lagniappe Mobile.  http://lagniappemobile.com/orange-beach-unveils-proposed-route-28-million-bridge/ (http://lagniappemobile.com/orange-beach-unveils-proposed-route-28-million-bridge/)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flagniappemobile.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F11%2FOBnap-336x449.jpg&hash=4ce0df979452e8695c87d3dbed343cfba2e7f109)

From the article, "According to Calametti, State Route 59 is at capacity and some drivers are still hesitant to use the Foley Beach Express toll bridge because they don't want to pay the $3.50 fee." So.. let's build a whole new highway and bridge a mile and a half away from the toll bridge? I suppose there's some statute in place that would keep them from just buying the toll bridge and removing the toll?

Regarding extending the Foley Beach Express to AL 182, it would have to go right through a state park.  The article writers seem unconcerned with this, but you start getting into Section 104(f) impacts with doing such for roadway projects.

Driving back from Mobile to Pensacola on Wednesday night, I noticed that this sign (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama010/i-010_eb_exit_024_03.jpg) was replaced with two new "Congestion Ahead When Flashing" signs and beacons. This is in addition to the one posted further east (https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama010/i-010_eb_exit_025_02.jpg).

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/gallery/10_14_10_16_5_26_52.jpeg)

Also the left-hand lane drop just prior to the tunnel entrance was moved further back, probably in a band-aid effort to offset the now regular back ups eastbound.

Why amusement park's 'field of dreams' is creating congestion worries for coastal Alabama (http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index.ssf/2016/11/post_62.html#incart_river_index)

QuoteThe OWA development is the first major construction project along the Foley Beach Express since the companion Baldwin Beach Express opened in 2014. Both express roads merge into one another and offer an alternative route for visitors to Alabama's beaches than the often packed Alabama 59.

County officials have pushed to keep the new $86.7 million Baldwin Beach Express road as an easy-flowing expressway to and from Interstate 10. They want it free from any inundation of traffic lights, curb cuts and cluttered commercial activity.

The amusement park, which will feature 20 rides and a giant roller coaster, will be constructed almost adjacent to the Foley Beach Express, which is inside Foley's city limits. The park is expected to be open by Memorial Day weekend.

"Of course there are traffic concerns," Elliott said. "We'll continue working with Foley and make sure we keep a limited access expressway so that it doesn't turn into another Highway 59."

The new development is west of the Foley Beach Express and north of County Road 20 (Miflin Road).

ALDOT has a placeholder page for project information regarding a DDI at I-10 and AL 181. http://rp.dot.state.al.us/I10_SR181/

Regarding the Foley Beach Express toll bridge, I believe it was built by Fob James' son that ran for governor.  I'd like to find out if it's possible to make that bridge public and remove the toll.  I guess the gov't wants to weed out the private bridge. 

I really don't think tolls belong on a bridge that has been around for more than five years.  A toll should exist to pay for another road project getting built.  Then move it to another road.  Instead it always has to be either or.  Either its completely private and tolled forever or tolled forever by public bureaucrats just taking advantage of the public (ala NY/NJ).  The main problem with road projects getting off the ground is the general lack of private/public partnership.  Far more could get done.  And faster.

ALDOT has finally started working on the long sidelined US 98 extension project in Mobile County.  It looks like they're only paving two of the four lanes. 

^^ The reason for tolls being on a bridge for more than 5 years is because it takes far longer than that for the tolls to actually pay off the design, construction, and maintenance of that bridge.  To try and get it paid off in only 5 years would require a toll so high that few would actually use it.

Quote from: roadwarrior on November 23, 2018, 12:10:30 AM
I'd like to find out if it's possible to make that bridge public and remove the toll.  ...
I really don't think tolls belong on a bridge that has been around for more than five years.  A toll should exist to pay for another road project getting built.  Then move it to another road.

The Foley Beach Express Toll Bridge is privately-owned. The company which owned it went bankrupt. It's now owned by a Bermuda-based guarantee company. Even if ALDOT wanted to buy it, I can't imagine why the guarantee company would sell it and pass-up on an on-going revenue stream.

https://www.nwitimes.com/business/transportation/when-good-toll-roads-go-bad/article_cfb056e1-87af-561a-934a-a67b900d9962.html

Quote from: mwb1848 on November 26, 2018, 09:52:17 PM

Quote from: roadwarrior on November 23, 2018, 12:10:30 AM
I'd like to find out if it's possible to make that bridge public and remove the toll.  ...
I really don't think tolls belong on a bridge that has been around for more than five years.  A toll should exist to pay for another road project getting built.  Then move it to another road.

The Foley Beach Express Toll Bridge is privately-owned. The company which owned it went bankrupt. It's now owned by a Bermuda-based guarantee company. Even if ALDOT wanted to buy it, I can't imagine why the guarantee company would sell it and pass-up on an on-going revenue stream.

https://www.nwitimes.com/business/transportation/when-good-toll-roads-go-bad/article_cfb056e1-87af-561a-934a-a67b900d9962.html

Well, according to what you and Froggie have said, it sounds like there isn't much of a on-going revenue stream.  Sounds like a badly run business.  Maybe people need to begin to reinvent how to toll.  For a private bridge, is there something financially dragging down the revenues that isn't known to the public?  Is it actually fully private and subject to the forces of the market?  Because that would normally force a failing business to make changes instead of continuing with something that just isn't working.  I think society needs to rethink the way they handle these matters. 

Quote from: roadwarrior on December 13, 2018, 08:45:33 PM

Quote from: mwb1848 on November 26, 2018, 09:52:17 PM

Quote from: roadwarrior on November 23, 2018, 12:10:30 AM
I'd like to find out if it's possible to make that bridge public and remove the toll.  ...
I really don't think tolls belong on a bridge that has been around for more than five years.  A toll should exist to pay for another road project getting built.  Then move it to another road.

The Foley Beach Express Toll Bridge is privately-owned. The company which owned it went bankrupt. It's now owned by a Bermuda-based guarantee company. Even if ALDOT wanted to buy it, I can't imagine why the guarantee company would sell it and pass-up on an on-going revenue stream.

https://www.nwitimes.com/business/transportation/when-good-toll-roads-go-bad/article_cfb056e1-87af-561a-934a-a67b900d9962.html

Well, according to what you and Froggie have said, it sounds like there isn't much of a on-going revenue stream.  Sounds like a badly run business.  Maybe people need to begin to reinvent how to toll.  For a private bridge, is there something financially dragging down the revenues that isn't known to the public?  Is it actually fully private and subject to the forces of the market?  Because that would normally force a failing business to make changes instead of continuing with something that just isn't working.  I think society needs to rethink the way they handle these matters. 

County Road 4 (IIRC...labeled as Cotton Creek Rd, then Brown Ln on Google maps) runs from AL 59 to the Foley Beach Expwy. This is how you shunpike the toll bridge.

Passed through Mobile and Baldwin Counties in Lower Alabama for the first time in 4 years two weeks ago. Some observations:

The Buc-ee's built by the diamond interchange joining the Baldwin Beach Express (BBE) with Interstate 10 has resulted in so much congestion that traffic lights were added for the westbound exit ramp from I-10 to the BBE and along the BBE at CR 64 (900 feet's worth is now Buc-ee's Boulevard), just south of the exchange: https://www.fox10tv.com/news/baldwin_county/changes-coming-to-baldwin-beach-express-buc-ees-exit-to-help-alleviate-traffic/article_960c3984-5270-11ea-8629-8fb54ffd1aa2.html
Furthermore the eastbound exit ramp is in the process of being expanded specifically to service Buc-ee's, with Buc-ee's covering the cost: https://mynbc15.com/news/local/buc-ees-road-project-aims-to-relieve-traffic-headache-at-no-cost-to-taxpayers

(https://www.aaroads.com/al/010/i-010-e-exit-049-7.jpg) (https://www.aaroads.com/al/010/i-010-e-exit-049-7.jpg)

A new APL for Exit 49 from Interstate 10 eastbound.

I was amazed at how much traffic got off at that exit on Friday. It used to be once you got east past SR 59, traffic opened up. This is likely to increase, as in addition to the traffic generated by the Buc-ee's, land at two of the other quadrants of the interchange are zoned as a "Commercial District" per the Baldwin County GIS Viewer.

Two of the three signs replaced in kind for Exit 38/SR 181 on I-10 eastbound are missing exit tabs.

Someone definitely dusted off the old sign plans again, as US 31 was added back on guide signage on I-10 westbound for Exit 30! The last time US 31 was signed here was the mid 1990s. No photos as it was at night. Signs along eastbound remain unchanged.

US 90 along Bay Bridge Road was renamed Africatown Boulevard by Mobile City Council back in 2016. Sign changes have finally beed made for this, including some really bad "greenouts" on the slotted overheads for US 90 on I-165 southbound. Saw these at night in the opposite direction, so unfortunately I did not get any photos.

While it was raining and dark, I could see the reflection of regulatory signs for the SR 158 Extension/Future US 98 beyond the turn off south onto Newburn Road. So that stretch appears to be ready for traffic. Taking SR 217 to the southwest, there's a long elevated section of SR 158 now in place. The overpass that will take US 98 over CR 27 (McCrary Road) however has a way to go from what I could tell.

CR 63 on Wilmer Georgetown Road is closed for work on the new US 98. The ALDOT site on the project indicated that an interchange is being built there. Last I checked, it was just a one quadrant interchange.

Heading back east on I-10, expansion of the six lane section is underway west from the Carol Plantation Road overpass to the diamond interchange with CR 30/Theodore Daws Road. The second diagrammatic (https://www.aaroads.com/al/010/i-010-e-exit-020-4.jpg) in each direction for I-65 on I-10 were both replaced with separate panels:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010-e-at-i-065-10-08-21.jpg) (https://www.aaroads.com/forum_images/southeast/i-010-e-at-i-065-10-08-21.jpg)

It appears that arrows are no longer necessary...

Really dumb carbon copy for Exit 1 / US 90 on I-65 northbound where Government Boulevard is still abbreviated as "Govt Blvd". Are we still trying to save space here for something?

The only signs changed at the south end of Interstate 65 are the set at the gore point for Exit 0. The respective control points of Florida and Mississippi were replaced with Pensacola and Pensacola, er Pascagoula.

The Wallace Tunnel was backed up as expected, so diverted at Virginia Avenue and headed north to US 98 along Govt Boulevard. Construction added a planted median in place of the continuous center turn lane along Broad Street. A roundabout was built in place of the intersection at Broad and Canal Streets as well.

North of Govt Boulevard, Broad Street is completely closed for a road diet project (https://www.cityofmobile.org/reconnectingmobile/home/). There are no detour signs in place for US 90 or US 98, but the overhead assembly (https://www.aaroads.com/al/090/us-090-e-at-us-098-5.jpg) is still posted on Govt Boulevard east for US 90's continuation onto Broad Street north. Received no response, but I emailed ALDOT asking if they were going to apply to AASHTO for the realignment of US 98 onto the Wilmer/Semmes Bypass, and also about potential reailgnments of both US 98 and US 90 due to the rebuild of Broad and Beauregard Streets.

Conjecture here, but I imagine that US 98 will be realigned onto overlaps with I-65 and I-165 south to Bay Bridge Rd/Africatown Boulevard, and over US 90 south to Battleship Parkway. This would eliminate US 98 along Moffett Road and Spring Hill Avenue east to Broad Street. Furthermore US 90 would then overtake US 98 along Government Street and through the Bankhead Tunnel. This would allow the city of Mobile to take over maintenance for both Broad and Beauregard Streets along the Henry Arron Loop. US 45 would likely be truncated north to I-65, or perhaps SR 158/US 98, but I have no idea of what they might do with it should the other scenarios play out.

Is the four-laning of Highway 45 north of Mobile a project that should have been done long ago?

Quote from: cbalducc on October 24, 2021, 01:31:57 PM
Is the four-laning of Highway 45 north of Mobile a project that should have been done long ago?

haha no, the traffic on it in no way justify a widening. 

Quote from: Georgia on October 25, 2021, 08:06:40 PM

Quote from: cbalducc on October 24, 2021, 01:31:57 PM
Is the four-laning of Highway 45 north of Mobile a project that should have been done long ago?

haha no, the traffic on it in no way justify a widening. 

I drove on it once 7 years ago and it was quite empty. But it was quite busy in both directions three weeks ago from Citronella to about Fruitdale, but then it thinned out a little at the state line.

But would ALDOT widen a route to serve Mississippi, though they've already four-laned US 45 throughout their state? Not sure if Citronelle wants it much wider, unless there's a bypass.

AADT on the stretch just south of Fruitdale was 3458 in 2019 according to ALDOT's TDM webpage, 2020 went down a bit so I would consider 19 more accurate.  It has hovered in the 3400 range for the last few years. 

South of where SR 17 splits off, traffic does get into the 5k AADT but after that it takes until the first few counters off of 158 before you even hit 5 digits, and the absolute highest count since 2014 that I can find is 12,300 AADT just north of SR 158 from 2019. 

Mobile braces for "˜misery' and awaits "˜mother of all roundabouts' as McGregor Avenue projects approach (https://www.al.com/news/2022/11/mobile-braces-for-misery-and-awaits-mother-of-all-roundabouts-as-mcgregor-avenue-projects-approach.html)

QuoteThe largest roundabout in the city of Mobile — coined the "mother of all roundabouts"  by one council member

QuoteThe road will be home of two major road projects, both which are separate from one another, starting in January.

Here's what they can expect:

• A rebuild and streetscape project is set to begin after the new year and will extend from Old Shell Road north to the Museum Drive roundabout. The project is being financed by the city of Mobile ($2 million for the roadwork, drainage, sidewalks, and lighting) and $1.5 million to $2 million on water and sewer work paid by the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System.
• A major overhaul of the road from Dauphin Street south to Airport Boulevard. Project estimate is $15 million. It is being financed with 80% federal money, with the local match coming from Mobile County's Pay As You Go road construction program. Part of the project includes the roundabout at Dauphin and McGregor, which is expected to be the largest in Mobile once it is completed, sometime in either late 2024 or early 2025. The city classifies the project as a "complete rebuild"  of McGregor that will include additional turn lanes, sidewalks, lighting, drainage, etc.

QuoteMobile City Engineer Nick Amberger said he anticipates the southern portion of McGregor's project, which will be completed sometime in the spring of 2025, becoming a traffic headache during construction.

Quote"I encourage people during construction, that if you don't live on that corridor or are not visiting a friend for some reason, or conducting business for some reason, to find another way,"  Amberger said. "Find another route. We don't want to put an extra burden on the neighbors."

https://imgur.com/a/W5NyyF2

New overheads have gone up on the Foley Beach Express around CR-8 for the "Service Plaza"  in the past few weeks. Guess it's for tourists so they assume they have a nice Turnpike style facility to stop at just before the toll bridge but it's literally just the Shell station that sits in the middle of the roadway. There are development signs on the property to the north of the gas station which I guess could come to fruition and add some actual quick service restaurants or larger restrooms.