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[freebrickproductions]

Hey no worries, it should still be done a couple of years before the last stretches of Birmingham's $5 billion (yes that's $5 billion) I-422 Northern beltline (road from nowhere to nowhere through nowhere) opens. 

North Alabama really should secede and annex into Tennessee. 

Apparently, ALDOT currently doesn't have any plans to widen I-565 until 2043(!) for the portion between Exits 3 and 7, and 2046(!) for the portion between I-65 and Exit 3, based on ALDOT records (though the current Governor's office claims that those records based on 2016 funding projections, and they'll see about getting them updated and the dates for the work updated, apparently):
http://whnt.com/2018/05/09/widening-of-i-565-now-an-issue-in-alabama-governors-race-but-state-dot-records-say-help-is-a-long-way-off/

So, 3521 or somewhere around there?

[freebrickproductions]

https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2018/05/i-565_widening_project_on_fast.html

I-565 widening project on 'fast track,' ALDOT says

The Alabama Department of Transportation on Thursday said that widening I-565 in Huntsville is a "high priority project for us," echoing comments Gov. Kay Ivey made Wednesday.

Planning documents on the ALDOT website indicating that the I-565 project won't see new construction until 2043 are "outdated," spokesman Tony Harris said in an interview with AL.com. He also said work on the highway is "fast tracking."

"We have consultants actively engaged, working on that project right now," Harris said.

Harris, however, said he could not put an estimated date on when construction might begin on what's been described as a $100 million project.

The perspective from ALDOT came a day after the issue of widening I-565 became a political flashpoint at a ribbon cutting for GE Aviation in Huntsville.

At the end of his brief remarks at the ribbon cutting, Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle - challenging Ivey for the Republican gubernatorial nomination on June 5 - called out to state Sen. Arthur Orr seated in the audience about the need to expand I-565.

Orr, whose district includes the critical area of I-565 that officials agree needs widening, is also a member of the state General Fund committee and considered one of the most influential lawmakers in Montgomery.

After Battle concluded his speech, Ivey returned to the podium unprompted to reiterate her statement made during a speech in Huntsville last month that the interstate spur from I-65 into Huntsville is a "high priority" for her.

According to Harris, I-565 is getting attention.

"I know that work is now physically underway and is the first step to having plans that we can begin building from," he said.

But projects such as widening the federal highway are tedious exercises, Harris said. While it's basically stipulated that I-565 needs additional lanes to accommodate what's already a traffic bottleneck before the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing USA facility brings about 10,000 direct and indirect jobs to the area, there is more to be done than simply adding lanes, Harris said.

While I-565 expands to five lanes of traffic both east and westbound as it approaches downtown Huntsville, the highway shrinks to two lanes in each direction between Huntsville International Airport and I-65. That stretch of roadway connects a handful of manufacturing facilities such as Mazda Toyota, Polaris, GE Aviation and BOCAR with the rest of the automotive world.

He pointed to the I-565 interchange on I-65 as needing study to assess how it can handle additional lanes of traffic. There are also environmental issues in the I-565 area that will need attention as well, Harris said.

"We've got to identify to what extent improvement s are needed where I-565 connects to I-65," he said. "And what impact additional lanes will have on that entire corridor in terms of other improvements that might be needed at other interchanges. And there is at least some of that area where some detailed environmental studies will be required.

"That work is all fast tracking, ramping up and we will prosecute that work as fast as the department can."

Harris said ALDOT is aware of the growing industry presence on the I-565 corridor and the need for expansion.

"That area is seeing tremendous growth and the state recognizes the need to respond to that," he said.

Sounds like we might be getting some good news...

[freebrickproductions]

Well, the current Memorial Parkway widening project looks to be nearing completion. Many of the overhead BGS signs have gone up, and I believe they're putting striping on the mainlines as well.

[cjk374]

Well, the current Memorial Parkway widening project looks to be nearing completion. Many of the overhead BGS signs have gone up, and I believe they're putting striping on the mainlines as well.

Will that be as far south as the freeway will go or are there plans for another phase to start soon?

[freebrickproductions]

Well, the current Memorial Parkway widening project looks to be nearing completion. Many of the overhead BGS signs have gone up, and I believe they're putting striping on the mainlines as well.

Will that be as far south as the freeway will go or are there plans for another phase to start soon?

I think the city plans to start preliminary work on extending it further south once the current project is complete.

[formulanone]

I noticed today that County Line/Railroad Bed Road and US 72 is being prepped for improvements, which includes more turning lanes and fixing about 257 potholes.

https://www.huntsvilleal.gov/roadworkprojects/county-line-road-us72-west-intersection/

[codyg1985]

Well, the current Memorial Parkway widening project looks to be nearing completion. Many of the overhead BGS signs have gone up, and I believe they're putting striping on the mainlines as well.

Will that be as far south as the freeway will go or are there plans for another phase to start soon?

I think the city plans to start preliminary work on extending it further south once the current project is complete.

The project coming up after the overpasses is a large access-management project, which presumably will make the parkway south of Weatherly more like US 280 in the Birmingham area.

[freebrickproductions]

Finally!
https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2018/07/memorial_parkway_construction_2.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=alcomhuntsville_sf&utm_medium=social

Memorial Parkway construction in Huntsville completed ... almost

OK, south Huntsville, your long driving nightmare is almost over.

The Alabama Department of Transportation said Wednesday that a ribbon cutting for the two new Memorial Parkway overpasses will take place next week.

That doesn't necessarily signify the $53.9 million project will be complete by the July 31 ceremony. But as ALDOT spokesman Seth Burkett described it, "it certainly signifies that the project is nearing completion."

The work began in 2015 to build overpasses at Byrd Spring Road and Lily Flagg Road as well as reconstruct the Martin Road overpass to improve traffic flow in south Huntsville.

The Martin Road project had a late 2017 target date for completion and the overpasses in the summer of 2019. Both projects were completed early, which will mean about $2.5 million in bonuses for contractors Reed Construction and Miller & Miller.

Gov. Kay Ivey is scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting as well as Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and other state and local officials, according to ALDOT.

Completion of the project has been evident for several weeks as construction has dialed down on the overpasses, clean-up work has been taking place and paving is currently underway.

The completed overpasses will provide traffic light-free travel on the parkway from south of Mastin Lake Road in north Huntsville to south of Weatherly Drive in south Huntsville.

An overpass at Mastin Lake Road is next on the $250 million project list funded evenly by ALDOT and the city of Huntsville.

[freebrickproductions]

When a local road project gets stalled out for an extremely long period of time, despite the next phase practically being ready to begin, you can't expect the locals not to have any fun!
(P.S. Read the reviews, lol.)
https://www.facebook.com/GETZEIRDTDONE/

[cjk374]

When a local road project gets stalled out for an extremely long period of time, despite the next phase practically being ready to begin, you can't expect the locals not to have any fun!
(P.S. Read the reviews, lol.)
https://www.facebook.com/GETZEIRDTDONE/

I drove that road once...accidentally. I noticed the new "bike trail" beside it & wondered what the deal was with that.

[codyg1985]

It looks like I-565 between I-65 and County Line Rd will be widened to six lanes by making use of the shoulders (and probably making the lanes 11' lanes instead of 12' lanes).

I imagine FHWA won't buy into it unless ALDOT later comes in and does a full rebuild with appropriate shoulders and lane widths.

[wriddle082]

It looks like I-565 between I-65 and County Line Rd will be widened to six lanes by making use of the shoulders (and probably making the lanes 11' lanes instead of 12' lanes).

I imagine FHWA won't buy into it unless ALDOT later comes in and does a full rebuild with appropriate shoulders and lane widths.

I-24 in Nashville b/w Exit 57 (Haywood Lane) and Exit 59 (Bell Road) was widened from 6 to 8 lanes by resurfacing/restriping from 12’ to 11’ lanes and going into the already wide right shoulder.  This was done to prevent a potential bottleneck at Bell Road after widening 24 from 4 to 8 lanes all the way to Exit 66 at Smyrna.  TDOT promised they would fix this in the coming years, though they did do a proper widening from 6 to 8 lanes from Haywood to I-440 in the early 00’s.

That was 1996.  23 years ago!

[Georgia]

GSV car was staying at my hotel in town so new images coming soon

[capt.ron]

It looks like I-565 between I-65 and County Line Rd will be widened to six lanes by making use of the shoulders (and probably making the lanes 11' lanes instead of 12' lanes).

I imagine FHWA won't buy into it unless ALDOT later comes in and does a full rebuild with appropriate shoulders and lane widths.

I hope so. While I'm in favor of the section of I-565 in question to be widened, they need to just bite the bullet and do it right.

[codyg1985]

Bumping this topic...

I-565 expansion announced, Highway 72 widening project gets new life

No timeline has been set on when these projects will be funded and when construction will start. The US 72 widening between Providence Main Street and County Line Road has been delayed due to rising cost of ROW acquisition and other factors.

[Georgia]

i think Madison can add another few shopping centers on that stretch to make the ROW costs even more; also, more fast casual restaurants. 

[The Ghostbuster]

Here is another story pertaining to the US 72 widening between Providence Main Street and County Line Road: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/u-s-highway-72-to-face-another-expansion/ar-AAXrsbW?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=3c5cce9739654d62bcb29ef247de1ee7.

[codyg1985]

Here is another story pertaining to the US 72 widening between Providence Main Street and County Line Road: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/u-s-highway-72-to-face-another-expansion/ar-AAXrsbW?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=3c5cce9739654d62bcb29ef247de1ee7.

Another article says that this will be divided into three to four phases instead of just one long project to upgrade the entire corridor. At this rate, it'll never get finished. 

https://www.waff.com/2022/05/18/expansion-university-blvd-us-72-expected-start-next-fiscal-year/

[formulanone]

Here is another story pertaining to the US 72 widening between Providence Main Street and County Line Road: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/u-s-highway-72-to-face-another-expansion/ar-AAXrsbW?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=3c5cce9739654d62bcb29ef247de1ee7.

Another article says that this will be divided into three to four phases instead of just one long project to upgrade the entire corridor. At this rate, it'll never get finished. 

https://www.waff.com/2022/05/18/expansion-university-blvd-us-72-expected-start-next-fiscal-year/

Using the Old Highway 20 project as a measurement, I think it would take at least 3-4 years to widen US 72 with necessary access improvements.

So maybe breaking it all up isn't so bad, but then I could see the timeline taking 5+ years...