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Mobile-Baldwin

Started by Alex, January 21, 2009, 12:02:39 AM

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lamsalfl

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


Alex

South Alabama Road Notes

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

Alex

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"...

Alex

Baykeeper, DOT settle lawsuit on U.S. 98 project

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.

Alex

98 settlement removes block to first section

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...

froggie

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.

lamsalfl


froggie

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

Alex

#58
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.






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...




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



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.




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...

Alex


jdb1234


jdb1234

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.

Alex

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
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.

jdb1234

^^ 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.

Alex

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.

jdb1234

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.


Alex

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:


froggie

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

Alex

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...

Alex



Just posted this photo tonight of the Exit 3 sign on Airport Boulevard. 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.

Alex

Traffic decline forces Orange Beach to borrow millions to meet toll bridge obligations

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.

Alex

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:




Drove Schillinger Road south through U.S. 98 to see the new Alabama 42 signs mentioned by jdb1234. The classic shield posted on northbound was unfortunately replaced with the new sign installations. These "platform shoe" style Alabama shields also exist in Wilmer (posted previously).  :spin:




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 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.







Alex

I-10 interchange startup delayed in Baldwin County

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.

jdb1234





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