Alabama

[codyg1985]

I have seen a lot of ALDOT/ALDOT contractor survey crews along 565 near Wall Triana the last few months, is there a upcoming project in the near future?

Design work has begun on the project to widen I-565 to six lanes between County Line Road and Wall-Triana Hwy. The project is antici9pated to begin construction in 2024.

There is also a project that's supposed to be built in 2021 to reconfigure the exit ramp from EB I-565 to Wall-Triana Hwy. I am not sure exactly what they are doing, but I think it is to increase right-turning capacity to improve access to the nearby Town Madison development.

[Tomahawkin]

Good to see that Buc'ees will be open in Leeds in a few weeks! Love their pork/brisket BBQ sandwiches and there is everything there! Also Another Whataburger location will open up on the exit from IH 20 in Moody. The Whataburger in Carbondale sucks because everyone and they mama goes there! I wish the locals there would learn to grillout instead of going to fast food joints and spending 60 bucks on a family of 5

[ttownfeen]

Im really suprised that QT has not expanded into Alabama, especially the Anniston area? A lot of people who live there, work in the Atlanta area. They choose so because houses are a hell of a lot cheaper West of Villa Rica and there is less traffic to an extent...

A QT is opening up in Tuscaloosa at Exit 77 (Buttermilk Rd) next year.

https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20200128/tuscaloosa-leaders-clear-way-for-quiktrip-to-begin-construction

[Tomahawkin]

Nice, hopefully we can get either a QT or a Buc'ees in the Anniston area or near the AL/GA Border sometime in the next 4 years

[codyg1985]

That QT, along with one being built in Alabaster, will be the first two in Alabama. I wonder what their footprint in Alabama will end up being?

[jdb1234]

That QT, along with one being built in Alabaster, will be the first two in Alabama. I wonder what their footprint in Alabama will end up being?

Alabaster?  I think you mean Calera (it is being built at the recently rebuilt exit 231 if I remember correctly).  Now that I am done with school, I do not have a reason to go down there much anymore.

[asdfjkll]

Looks like the Montgomery Outer Loop is going to see more progress starting in 2021: in the STIP plan currently there is $9.3 million budgeted for earthworks and drainage from the SR-110 interchange to CR-83, a distance of about 3.8 miles. The construction contract is currently expected to be let sometime in 2021. For the Northern Beltline in Birmingham there is funding in place for preliminary engineering for the base + pave and bridges for the SR-79 to SR-75 section for this fiscal year, with the bridge construction contracts in the same segment being let in 2023.

Several Rebuild Alabama projects have started (US-411 expansion in Elmore County and the I-565 expansion near Huntsville), in fiscal 2021 both of the US-82 projects (Hwy 69 to Rice Mine 6-lane in Tuscaloosa County and the SR-14 to US-31 4 lane in Autauga County around Prattville), and the 6-lane widening of I-10 between exits 10 and 15 in Mobile County will have construction contracts bid out to contractors. In fiscal year 2022, construction contracts to widen and reconstruct I-59 between I-459 and Chalkville Mountain Road (CR-10) will be bid out to contractors.

[asdfjkll]

A diverging diamond interchange at Lakeshore Parkway and I-65 will begin construction in spring 2021. The project will be bid out in February, and will be the state's second DDI after the completion of the I-10 and AL-181 DDI in Spanish Fort last year: https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2021/01/04/construction-on-diverging-diamond-interchange-at.html

[codyg1985]

Looks like the Montgomery Outer Loop is going to see more progress starting in 2021: in the STIP plan currently there is $9.3 million budgeted for earthworks and drainage from the SR-110 interchange to CR-83, a distance of about 3.8 miles. The construction contract is currently expected to be let sometime in 2021. For the Northern Beltline in Birmingham there is funding in place for preliminary engineering for the base + pave and bridges for the SR-79 to SR-75 section for this fiscal year, with the bridge construction contracts in the same segment being let in 2023.

Several Rebuild Alabama projects have started (US-411 expansion in Elmore County and the I-565 expansion near Huntsville), in fiscal 2021 both of the US-82 projects (Hwy 69 to Rice Mine 6-lane in Tuscaloosa County and the SR-14 to US-31 4 lane in Autauga County around Prattville), and the 6-lane widening of I-10 between exits 10 and 15 in Mobile County will have construction contracts bid out to contractors. In fiscal year 2022, construction contracts to widen and reconstruct I-59 between I-459 and Chalkville Mountain Road (CR-10) will be bid out to contractors.

I am glad to see the state widening I-10 west towards Mississippi. After that widening is complete, there will be a stretch of 10 miles left to finish I-10 in Mobile County, aside from the Mobile River crossing. Then, after the bayway and Mobile River crossing is done, there would be 31 miles in Baldwin County left to widen before all of I-10 in Alabama is at least six lanes. Florida is planning on widening its corresponding section of I-10 to six lanes going into Pensacola.

I wished they would get serious about finishing widening I-20 along the gaps east of Birmingham (between MP 163 and MP 173 and between MP 188 and MP 205). They are so close to having it done, yet except for the Coosa River bridge replacement there aren't any plans in the immediate future to fill those gaps. Surely they can come up with the money to widen 27 miles of I-20.

The small stretch of I-20/59 between I-359 and US 82 should be widened shortly, but I don't think there is a pressing need to widen I-20/59 between Tuscaloosa and the Mississippi state line right now. Maybe in 10 years it could be widened to Exit 68.

Then the state could turn its attention to I-65 between Montgomery and Birmingham. The large gap is between MP 181 and MP 237, a gap of 56 miles. There are immediate plans to widen several bridges south of Exit 238, but no plans to actually widen I-65 within that gap.

It would also be nice to see the state tackle widening I-65 north of its current six lane terminus at MP 290 at the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River. About 15-20 years ago there were plans to widen I-65 north to Exit 299, but those got scrapped due to funding issues (I assume). The narrow median would make it difficult to widen without buying more right of way.

[I-55]

I wished they would get serious about finishing widening I-20 along the gaps east of Birmingham (between MP 163 and MP 173 and between MP 188 and MP 205). They are so close to having it done, yet except for the Coosa River bridge replacement there aren't any plans in the immediate future to fill those gaps. Surely they can come up with the money to widen 27 miles of I-20.

The small stretch of I-20/59 between I-359 and US 82 should be widened shortly, but I don't think there is a pressing need to widen I-20/59 between Tuscaloosa and the Mississippi state line right now. Maybe in 10 years it could be widened to Exit 68.

I fully support I-20 being 6 lane between Birmingham and Atlanta, and I certainly think it will happen in the near future (on the Alabama end anyways). Widening from I-359 to Joe Mallisham Parkway won't be needed unless JMP explodes with development, as almost all of the Tuscaloosa traffic exits at either McFarland or 359. Needless to say it will be interesting to see where the next projects are in the state when the current ones end.

[Georgia]

GDOT doesnt have any widening plans west of Villa Rica though, so there is little point in Bama widending the last 17 miles only to again drop back to 2 lanes for 24 miles to VR. 

[asdfjkll]

I wished they would get serious about finishing widening I-20 along the gaps east of Birmingham (between MP 163 and MP 173 and between MP 188 and MP 205). They are so close to having it done, yet except for the Coosa River bridge replacement there aren't any plans in the immediate future to fill those gaps. Surely they can come up with the money to widen 27 miles of I-20.

The small stretch of I-20/59 between I-359 and US 82 should be widened shortly, but I don't think there is a pressing need to widen I-20/59 between Tuscaloosa and the Mississippi state line right now. Maybe in 10 years it could be widened to Exit 68.

I fully support I-20 being 6 lane between Birmingham and Atlanta, and I certainly think it will happen in the near future (on the Alabama end anyways). Widening from I-359 to Joe Mallisham Parkway won't be needed unless JMP explodes with development, as almost all of the Tuscaloosa traffic exits at either McFarland or 359. Needless to say it will be interesting to see where the next projects are in the state when the current ones end.

The first step in widening I-20 between Bham and Atlanta would be to replace the Coosa River Bridge with a new 6-lane bridge and widening the 4-lane section east of the Coosa River, which would make a seamless 6-lane corridor from I-459 all the way into Oxford. I wouldn't widen east of Oxford until Alabama and Georgia can get into a joint agreement to widen to 6-lanes in their remaining sections that are still just 4 lanes.

In Tuscaloosa some of the projects I would like to see happen in the next round of big projects would be:
-Start building the eastern bypass which has been talked about since the 80's. Ideally the Tuscaloosa East Bypass on its western side would be extended south past US82 on a new toll bridge (the existing toll bridge would then have its tolls removed) connecting to I-20/59 exit 68 by upgrading Joe Malisham to a freeway, and have it signed as I-259 (I-x20's in my opinion should be used for I-20 east of Birmingham, which is why I chose an I-x59 for a possible interstate designation for the East Bypass). There could also freeway-standard links for US 82 from the northwestern corner curve of the bypass to US-82 near Buhl and south of I-20/59 to somewhere east of Duncanville, and move US-82 onto the bypass and sign the old US-82 as US-82 Business.
-Widen AL-69 from 2 lanes to 4 lanes + center two way left turn lane from the Northwood Crossings traffic light to Lary Lake Road. This road is one of the highest volume 2-lane roads in the county. Left turn lanes were recently added at a few intersections in this section over the last couple years to alleviate some congestion.
-Widening US-43 from Mitt Lary to the Lake Tuscaloosa bridge to 4-lanes to support ongoing development in the area. As with SR-69 North, left turning lanes have been added at some intersections over the past few years including a traffic signal at Tierce Patton Road.

Elsewhere in west Alabama they could start widening SR-69 from north of Moundville to SR-60, with a northbound flyover for the north SR-60 to north SR-69 movement (replacing a stop controlled turn onto SR-69), and widening SR-13 from Spruce Pine to I-22, which is partially grade, drain, and bridge but nothing else for the past few years.

[I-55]

I wished they would get serious about finishing widening I-20 along the gaps east of Birmingham (between MP 163 and MP 173 and between MP 188 and MP 205). They are so close to having it done, yet except for the Coosa River bridge replacement there aren't any plans in the immediate future to fill those gaps. Surely they can come up with the money to widen 27 miles of I-20.

The small stretch of I-20/59 between I-359 and US 82 should be widened shortly, but I don't think there is a pressing need to widen I-20/59 between Tuscaloosa and the Mississippi state line right now. Maybe in 10 years it could be widened to Exit 68.

I fully support I-20 being 6 lane between Birmingham and Atlanta, and I certainly think it will happen in the near future (on the Alabama end anyways). Widening from I-359 to Joe Mallisham Parkway won't be needed unless JMP explodes with development, as almost all of the Tuscaloosa traffic exits at either McFarland or 359. Needless to say it will be interesting to see where the next projects are in the state when the current ones end.

The first step in widening I-20 between Bham and Atlanta would be to replace the Coosa River Bridge with a new 6-lane bridge and widening the 4-lane section east of the Coosa River, which would make a seamless 6-lane corridor from I-459 all the way into Oxford. I wouldn't widen east of Oxford until Alabama and Georgia can get into a joint agreement to widen to 6-lanes in their remaining sections that are still just 4 lanes.

In Tuscaloosa some of the projects I would like to see happen in the next round of big projects would be:
-Start building the eastern bypass which has been talked about since the 80's. Ideally the Tuscaloosa East Bypass on its western side would be extended south past US82 on a new toll bridge (the existing toll bridge would then have its tolls removed) connecting to I-20/59 exit 68 by upgrading Joe Malisham to a freeway, and have it signed as I-259 (I-x20's in my opinion should be used for I-20 east of Birmingham, which is why I chose an I-x59 for a possible interstate designation for the East Bypass). There could also freeway-standard links for US 82 from the northwestern corner curve of the bypass to US-82 near Buhl and south of I-20/59 to somewhere east of Duncanville, and move US-82 onto the bypass and sign the old US-82 as US-82 Business.
-Widen AL-69 from 2 lanes to 4 lanes + center two way left turn lane from the Northwood Crossings traffic light to Lary Lake Road. This road is one of the highest volume 2-lane roads in the county. Left turn lanes were recently added at a few intersections in this section over the last couple years to alleviate some congestion.
-Widening US-43 from Mitt Lary to the Lake Tuscaloosa bridge to 4-lanes to support ongoing development in the area. As with SR-69 North, left turning lanes have been added at some intersections over the past few years including a traffic signal at Tierce Patton Road.

Elsewhere in west Alabama they could start widening SR-69 from north of Moundville to SR-60, with a northbound flyover for the north SR-60 to north SR-69 movement (replacing a stop controlled turn onto SR-69), and widening SR-13 from Spruce Pine to I-22, which is partially grade, drain, and bridge but nothing else for the past few years.

The Eastern Bypass certainly should be constructed, though a loop that skewed would look weird as a 3di of I-59 (not that it's a bad thing). Certainly that proposal would be functional for Tuscaloosa and alleviate McFarland and Lurleen B Wallace Blvds.

As for the flyover in Hale County, those words don't belong in the same sentence, especially considering the number of 4 lane junctions in the northern half of the state like this.

[rcm195]

Sadly I just don't see any of these projects taking any shape in Alabama. I'll be 61 next month and I'm not sure now I'll ever live to see another major road project take shape, much less finished in my lifetime. 😔

[asdfjkll]

Sadly I just don't see any of these projects taking any shape in Alabama. I'll be 61 next month and I'm not sure now I'll ever live to see another major road project take shape, much less finished in my lifetime. 😔

Alabama might be able to afford such projects now thanks to the Rebuild Alabama Act (which is bringing in $200-300 million more dollars annually that can only be used for road construction), and a few counties like Tuscaloosa created their own road improvement comissions to fund local highway projects using sales tax dollars. The Rebuild Alabama Act for example pushed up the letting fiscal year for the US-82 widening in Prattville up 2 years form 2023 to 2021, the I-10 widening between exits 10 and 15 moved up 6 years from 2027 to 2021, the widening and reconstruction of I-59 from I-459 to Chalkville Mountain Road moved up 6 years from 2028 to 2022, and the McFarland widening from SR-69 to Rice Mine, grade, drain and bridge of the next piece of the Montgomery Outer Loop, the I-565 widening in Limstone County, and the US-411 widening project in Etowah County wasn't even on the STIP plan back then (looking at a 2019 version of the STIP). It'll be neat to see what will be coming next in the next round of Rebuild Alabama projects.

[asdfjkll]

A lot of updates for upcoming Alabama roadway projects:

In January's letting (yesterday):

A major bridge replacement project around I-85 Exit 60 in Opelika has been let, and will replace three pairs of narrow bridges at SR-51 (Exit 60), the Norfolk Southern railway tracks just west of Exit 60, and Long Street. It'll also extend the substandard off and on ramp deceleration/acceleration lanes on the west side of the interchange, and with the presence of concrete median barrier in the items list it suggest that the new bridges will be wide enough to accomodate a 6-lane facility for I-85 in the future when funding arrives for that project. The remainder of items in the January letting are just generic resurfacing projects and other small improvements, although US-411 between the south end of the last widening project and Rainbow City will be getting some access management in addition to resurfacing.

In the February 26 letting we have three big projects up for bid plus preparatory work for a fourth project:

Another project for the Future US-98 in Mobile County is coming up for bid where a new bridge for CR-63 (Wilmer-Georgetown Road) will be built over the future US-98 alignment currently under construction (grade and drain on either side of this road is already completed back in the late 2000's). It include a jughandle to allow traffic from CR-63 to hop onto the new US-98 when it opens in a couple years.

The new diverging diamond interchange planned for Lakeshore Parkway and I-65 in Birmingham is also up for bid. This will be the second diverging diamond built in the state of Alabama, after the completion of the SR-181 DDI at I-10 last year.

The long overdue US-82 widening in Prattville between SR-14 and US-31 is up for bid. There is a concrete and asphalt option with this project, as the Rebuild Alabama Act requires ALDOT put up a concrete and asphalt option up for bid for Rebuild Alabama projects. The US-411 widening (a Rebuild AL act project under construction) also had a concrete/asphalt option when it went up for bid last year.

Finally, a demolition contract to remove 24 buildings in the way for the upcoming widening of US-11 between the Mercedes car factory and SR-5 will be up for bid. It is expected that later on in the year the contract to construct the actual roadway widening will be out for bid upon completion of the demolition works.

The remainder of items is another large amount of resurfacing projects/minor improvements and 1 bridge replacement (SR-14 over Lubbub Creek in Pickens County)

[milbfan]

A lot of updates for upcoming Alabama roadway projects:

The long overdue US-82 widening in Prattville between SR-14 and US-31 is up for bid. There is a concrete and asphalt option with this project, as the Rebuild Alabama Act requires ALDOT put up a concrete and asphalt option up for bid for Rebuild Alabama projects. The US-411 widening (a Rebuild AL act project under construction) also had a concrete/asphalt option when it went up for bid last year.

Thank goodness.

[Plutonic Panda]

That is very interesting concrete and asphalt alternatives are required.

[codyg1985]

That is very interesting concrete and asphalt alternatives are required.

ALDOT offered that for the construction of I-22 as well. Concrete is more expensive in usually most cases, so asphalt won. I figure it will be the same case with these projects as well. The only way they are gonna get concrete is if they only have concrete as an option.

[asdfjkll]

That is very interesting concrete and asphalt alternatives are required.

ALDOT offered that for the construction of I-22 as well. Concrete is more expensive in usually most cases, so asphalt won. I figure it will be the same case with these projects as well. The only way they are gonna get concrete is if they only have concrete as an option.

Concrete may be more expensive than asphalt in the short term, but when it comes to long term maintenance throughout the life of the pavement sometimes concrete may be the better option (especially when you count the couple scheduled resurfacings of the asphalt over 30+ years while the concrete won't need maintenance for 25+ years in the ideal situation). There is also the issue of variable pricing of oil, as asphalt is a oil-based product like the gasoline at the gas pumps, so some years asphalt will be more expensive than in other years, just like how one year the price per gallon of gas can be $3 and another year it is 2$.

In other Alabama roadway news: In Governor Kay Ivey's State of the State address last week, she mentioned that later this year she wants to break ground on a 4-lane US-43 between the current end of 4-lane in the middle of Thomasville to Tuscaloosa (although I think it will end at Exit 40 in Eutaw by the new Love's gas station). She also mentions working towards providing a 4-lane access to the interstate from Geneva and Fayette Counties. For Geneva County, a 4-lane access to the interstate already exists on the eastern side by going through Dothan on US-231 from I-10 and going down SR-52 to the end of 4-lane dual carriageway by Malvern. Some possibilities for giving other parts of the county 4-lane access would be continuing the SR-52 widening west past Malvern all the way to Hartford, where another new 4-lane SR-167 will come up from FL-79 at the Florida State line all the way up to the US-84 at grade beltway around Enterprise. For Fayette County, this is the first I've heard about a new 4-lane corridor proposed in this county, I would personally widen AL-13 throughout the entire county and in adjoining counties to form a 4-lane corridor from Tuscaloosa to I-22 by Eldridge. In addition, a new 4-lane dual carriageway alignment for SR-18 east of the Sipsey River intersecting with AL-13 a few miles to the north of the existing all-way stop with SR-18, continuing as a new 2-lane alignment to somewhere northeast of Berry (with 4-lane ROW) which will bypass Bankston, Berry, and Stough, and the very windy and curvy section of SR-18 between AL-13 and Fayette. Preferably the new AL-13/18 intersection will be a diamond interchange or a grade separated jughandle (see SR-5 and SR-28 at Catherine for an example of this) with AL-13 being the main movement.

[Tom958]

In other Alabama roadway news: In Governor Kay Ivey's State of the State address last week, she mentioned that later this year she wants to break ground on a 4-lane US-43 between the current end of 4-lane in the middle of Thomasville to Tuscaloosa (although I think it will end at Exit 40 in Eutaw by the new Love's gas station).

It looks appalling on a map, but a better approach might be to widen US 45 from AL 158 to the MS line instead. Already, Google's journey time from Mobile to Tuscaloosa is identical via US 45 and I-20-59 compared to US 43-AL 69 despite the former being thirty miles longer. While it's true that the Mobile-Tuscaloosa run isn't the only issue that a more direct project would address, it's also true that two-lane US 45 is a problem, and it's good to kill two birds with one stone where possible.

While I'm at it, a decent US 45 project would require a lengthy bypass of Citronelle, a US 43 routing would require a comparable bypass of Demopolis plus a shorter one of Eufaw. Or they could bypass both by sticking to AL 69 and missing Demopolis altogether at the cost of an extra 13 miles of widening plus a bypass of Greenville. Decisions, decisions. 

[codyg1985]

A four lane AL 18 from Fayette to Berry shocks me. I don't know if the traffic would justify that. A relocated two lane, sure, but a four lane west of AL 13 would surprise me if it had a large traffic count.

US 43 widening from Thomasville to Tuscaloosa sounds great. Also widen AL 13 between Spruce Pine and Tuscaloosa. While it may not get a heavy traffic count south of Natural Bridge to north of Samantha, the regional connectivity would increase. 

[codyg1985]

As for concrete versus asphalt, I don't think they take maintenance costs into the price of concrete, unfortunately. Maybe I am wrong, though.

[asdfjkll]

A four lane AL 18 from Fayette to Berry shocks me. I don't know if the traffic would justify that. A relocated two lane, sure, but a four lane west of AL 13 would surprise me if it had a large traffic count.

US 43 widening from Thomasville to Tuscaloosa sounds great. Also widen AL 13 between Spruce Pine and Tuscaloosa. While it may not get a heavy traffic count south of Natural Bridge to north of Samantha, the regional connectivity would increase.

There are a few heavy industries in Fayette that could benefit from a 4-lane highway up to their doorsteps, hence why I suggested a 4-lane new alignment connector road from Fayette to AL-13. East of AL-13 it is a new 2-lane route for AL-18 to northeast of Berry (barely any traffic beyond that point)

[codyg1985]

A four lane AL 18 from Fayette to Berry shocks me. I don't know if the traffic would justify that. A relocated two lane, sure, but a four lane west of AL 13 would surprise me if it had a large traffic count.

US 43 widening from Thomasville to Tuscaloosa sounds great. Also widen AL 13 between Spruce Pine and Tuscaloosa. While it may not get a heavy traffic count south of Natural Bridge to north of Samantha, the regional connectivity would increase.

There are a few heavy industries in Fayette that could benefit from a 4-lane highway up to their doorsteps, hence why I suggested a 4-lane new alignment connector road from Fayette to AL-13. East of AL-13 it is a new 2-lane route for AL-18 to northeast of Berry (barely any traffic beyond that point)

They could potentially use the old Norfolk Southern right of way for the new roadway. It even features a bridge at AL 13 where the railroad went under AL 13.