Alabama

[bdmoss88]

Gordo bypass intersection with 159 needs built also, looked like 82 was meant to go over it but there has been no real prep work started on it. 

It would have been nice if the 82/159 intersection would have been grade separated but it isn't going to be.. I believe it's going to be done like the 82/219 intersection in Centreville with no direct crossing for 159 and U-turn lanes.
The Gordo leaders should have started pushing for the grade separation years ago when the northern route was first chosen but didn't start talking about it until it was being built. I think it was too late at that point for plans to be changed.

[asdfjkll]

Gordo bypass intersection with 159 needs built also, looked like 82 was meant to go over it but there has been no real prep work started on it. 

It would have been nice if the 82/159 intersection would have been grade separated but it isn't going to be.. I believe it's going to be done like the 82/219 intersection in Centreville with no direct crossing for 159 and U-turn lanes.
The Gordo leaders should have started pushing for the grade separation years ago when the northern route was first chosen but didn't start talking about it until it was being built. I think it was too late at that point for plans to be changed.

The Gordo Bypass/SR159 is indeed going to be at-grade, but as ya'll have mentioned they haven't started building it yet. If it doesn't get done in the grade/drain/bridge job it'll be done in the base/pave job that is coming up. The AADT for SR159 in the vincinity of the Gordo bypass is like 2/3'rds that of the road south of the Centreville 82/219 RCUT (2.4k immediately north of Gordo bypass compared to 4k south of Centreville RCUT and 1.2k north of Centreville RCUT), south of Gordo bypass its like 3.4k but some of that 3.4k will be redirected onto the bypass when it opens. With that being said, traffic volumes are way too low to warrant there being a grade separation there, if any grade separated interchanges are going to be built in that area of the county it'll probably be in the form of a brand new freeway between Tuscaloosa and Columbus (MS), but I'll leave that for a fictional highway thread later on.

[asdfjkll]

Two giant juicy projects coming in the March 25th Letting:

-The next phase of the Ross Clark Circle expansion from Meadowbrook Drive to North Cherokee Avenue is up for bids. This project will make the loop between 84 west and 231 north 6 lanes (3 in each direction), and the Circle will have 6 lanes from Fortner Street from North Cheokee Avenue once this and the previous expansion project are complete. It also calls for additional lanes on US231 at its intersection with Ross Clark Circle near the Wiregrass Mall.

-The first phase of the West Alabama Highway 4-lane program in Linden is up for bid. It'll create the southern half of the Linden bypass from 1.14 miles south of the southern SR-69 intersection on 43 and SR-28 east of town. The interesting thing about this bypass is that it will be signed as SR-303, instead of rerouting SR-69 onto the bypass. It makes sense that this section was let first as this re-uses the previous Linden bypass project plans and the GIS parcel map already showing the state owning the right of way for this section. The north half of the bypass had to be redone as the previous plans called it to re-join US-43 northwest of Chickasaw State Park, not SR-69 northeast of Providence. Unlike most new alignment projects, each of the two Linden Bypass sections will be built on one single contract instead of splitting up the earthwork/bridges and the paving into separate contracts. The north half of the bypass will be bid out at a later date. The design build sections of the West Alabama Highway will probably each get their own dedicated special letting as these are significant projects funding wise (both combined are almost $750-$800 million). Plans will be posted on alletting within a week or two.

[Tom958]

The north half of the bypass had to be redone as the previous plans called it to re-join US-43 northwest of Chickasaw State Park, not SR-69 northeast of Providence.

Ridiculous. The bypass should still serve traffic headed through Demopolis even if the corridor itself doesn't. Currently, traffic counts on US 43 north of Linden are 3500ish, compared to a third of that on AL 69, even though Google Maps routes Thomasville-Tuscaloosa traffic onto AL 69.

Then again, this whole project is ridiculous for a state that can't figure out how to build an adequate crossing of Mobile Bay.   

[codyg1985]

Interesting that the Linden bypass includes both pavement and grading. Usually ALDOT does those in separate lettings. They really are fast tracking that project.

[HemiCRZ]

Interesting that the Linden bypass includes both pavement and grading. Usually ALDOT does those in separate lettings. They really are fast tracking that project.

If I'm not mistaken, this is a Kay Ivey pet project. That would explain the rush to get it done.

[asdfjkll]

Interesting that the Linden bypass includes both pavement and grading. Usually ALDOT does those in separate lettings. They really are fast tracking that project.

I actually prefer that paving, grading, and bridges on each new road segment should be done in one contract instead of splitting it out into multiple projects. The original Linden bypass project had separate earthwork/bridge and paving phases, and a completely separate phase for the connector linking SR-69 south to the bypass, which are now combined into two separate full-construction contracts on the current iteration. It cuts down on construction time, unnecessary delays, and avoids issues like the SR-13 deviation at Phil Campbell where earthwork and bridges have been done for 10+ years but no paving has been done or is planned. Florida also does new alignment road construction in one contract, regardless on whether it is a toll road or not. Single contract road construction for new alignments and bypasses should be made the standard not just for Alabama but also for Mississippi and Tennessee. The US-82 Gordo Bypass would've been open a year or two ago if the earthwork, bridges, and paving were combined into one single contract when it was let back in 2017.

[codyg1985]

Another project has popped up on the Design-Built website for ALDOT. This one is a four-lane highway between Fayette and I-22 north of Winfield. It utilizes US 43/AL 171 to south of Winfield, and then a new alignment to the AL 118/AL 129 intersection, and then AL 129 to I-22.

https://www.dot.state.al.us/business/DesignBuild.html

[STLmapboy]

Drove through Alabama recently on my way from St. Louis to Seaside, FL. A couple things:

US 31 between Hope Hull and AL-97 was incredibly crowded for a two-lane road on a Sunday afternoon. Now, it may have just been spring break traffic, but has ALDOT considered widening this stretch of 31 at all?

US 331 was not as crowded but still seemed like it could've used some four-laning beyond the Luverne-Brantley stretch, the Opp bypass, and the part from Montgomery to AL-94. The occasional passing lanes are helpful at least (and something I didn't see on 31).

North of Opp on 331 is a bridge that's out for reconstruction. On the signed detour (AL-141 to US-84), AL-9 (a hidden route) is signed as well. Just thought that was notable.

The pavement on I-65 north and south of Birmingham is quite nice asphalt (I particularly liked the widened section between 459 and Alabaster). In between 459 and 20/59, however, it turns to concrete, some of which is quite rough. Are there any projects planned for this portion of 65?

[clong]

Drove through Alabama recently on my way from St. Louis to Seaside, FL. A couple things:

US 31 between Hope Hull and AL-97 was incredibly crowded for a two-lane road on a Sunday afternoon. Now, it may have just been spring break traffic, but has ALDOT considered widening this stretch of 31 at all?

US 331 was not as crowded but still seemed like it could've used some four-laning beyond the Luverne-Brantley stretch, the Opp bypass, and the part from Montgomery to AL-94. The occasional passing lanes are helpful at least (and something I didn't see on 31).

North of Opp on 331 is a bridge that's out for reconstruction. On the signed detour (AL-141 to US-84), AL-9 (a hidden route) is signed as well. Just thought that was notable.

The pavement on I-65 north and south of Birmingham is quite nice asphalt (I particularly liked the widened section between 459 and Alabaster). In between 459 and 20/59, however, it turns to concrete, some of which is quite rough. Are there any projects planned for this portion of 65?

I don't know of any plans to widen 31 in that area.

I-65 is eventually planned to have an HOV lane inside 459. I would guess the concrete would all be repaired/replaced whenever that project happens - but it is probably a decade away. Just repair as absolutely needed until then would be my guess.

[asdfjkll]

Drove through Alabama recently on my way from St. Louis to Seaside, FL. A couple things:

US 31 between Hope Hull and AL-97 was incredibly crowded for a two-lane road on a Sunday afternoon. Now, it may have just been spring break traffic, but has ALDOT considered widening this stretch of 31 at all?

US 331 was not as crowded but still seemed like it could've used some four-laning beyond the Luverne-Brantley stretch, the Opp bypass, and the part from Montgomery to AL-94. The occasional passing lanes are helpful at least (and something I didn't see on 31).

North of Opp on 331 is a bridge that's out for reconstruction. On the signed detour (AL-141 to US-84), AL-9 (a hidden route) is signed as well. Just thought that was notable.

The pavement on I-65 north and south of Birmingham is quite nice asphalt (I particularly liked the widened section between 459 and Alabaster). In between 459 and 20/59, however, it turns to concrete, some of which is quite rough. Are there any projects planned for this portion of 65?

I don't know of any plans to widen 31 in that area.

I-65 is eventually planned to have an HOV lane inside 459. I would guess the concrete would all be repaired/replaced whenever that project happens - but it is probably a decade away. Just repair as absolutely needed until then would be my guess.

If I-65 is getting any sort of HOV or express lane inside the 459 loop it should be built with 2 lanes in each direction with no exits other than the southern terminus (I-459 interchange) and the northern terminus (I-22 interchange area), that way folks heading to/from Montgomery and the beaches down south, and people going between the northern and southern suburbs can bypass rush hour traffic. The way Birmingham is structured and developed makes it difficult to make a decent north/south bypass loop that has similar distance between both ends unlike I-459, so these new "express" lanes would pretty much function similar to one for thru traffic without having to demolish thousands of homes as it could be built mostly within the existing ROW of I-65.

Now regarding the last letting: The Linden Bypass south half came in within the bracket for both accepted bids. W.S. Newell and Sons out of Montgomery, Alabama was the lowest bidder with a $55.7 million bid. The other bidder accepted by ALDOT was W. G. Yates & Sons Construction Company out of Philadelphia, Mississippi with a $58.7 million bid. The bracket, for comparison, was $49.1 million to $60.2 million. The contract should be awarded to the lowest bidder within the next 1-2 months with construction starting shortly afterwards. The north half of the Linden Bypass will be let at a later date.

Public involvement is open for the I-59 expansion from I-459's northern terminus to Chalkville Mountain Road. Looking at the typical section on the project map the plan is to completely remove the existing 4-lane divided (2 lanes each direction) pavement and reconstruct with 6-lane asphalt buildup+OGFC wearing surface (3 lanes in each direction). Notably they are trying to fast track this project (1 year instead of 2-3 years) as there will be long ramp shutdowns lasting months as each side is completely rebuilt from the subgrade up.

[codyg1985]

ALDOT has narrowed down to four contractors for the design-build project to construct the West Alabama Highway between Thomasville and Moundville. Those are:

Granite Construction Company, Inc.
Kiewit Infrastructure South Company
Venture Construction, Inc.
Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC

Proposals are due to ALDOT by May 20th with an anticipated notice to proceed by August 23rd.

[codyg1985]

The only interesting thing this month on ALDOT's project letting is the installation of cameras, DMSs, and vehicle detection along I-65 in Chilton County.

[codyg1985]

If I-65 is getting any sort of HOV or express lane inside the 459 loop it should be built with 2 lanes in each direction with no exits other than the southern terminus (I-459 interchange) and the northern terminus (I-22 interchange area), that way folks heading to/from Montgomery and the beaches down south, and people going between the northern and southern suburbs can bypass rush hour traffic. The way Birmingham is structured and developed makes it difficult to make a decent north/south bypass loop that has similar distance between both ends unlike I-459, so these new "express" lanes would pretty much function similar to one for thru traffic without having to demolish thousands of homes as it could be built mostly within the existing ROW of I-65.

I certainly hope that capacity and/or pavement rehab is added to I-65 in some form in the near future between I-459 and I-20/59. A lane addition would be welcome in both directions at a minimum, but that would be expensive since it would have to go to the outside of the current footprint since a great deal of the road already has a jersey barrier.

A continuous bypass-in-place of I-65 between I-459 and I-20/59 is a great idea, but I imagine it would have to be tolled in order to be built since it would be crazy expensive to build all of the elevated structures as well as build over both Red Mountain and Shades Mountain.

[jdb1234]

Another project has popped up on the Design-Built website for ALDOT. This one is a four-lane highway between Fayette and I-22 north of Winfield. It utilizes US 43/AL 171 to south of Winfield, and then a new alignment to the AL 118/AL 129 intersection, and then AL 129 to I-22.

https://www.dot.state.al.us/business/DesignBuild.html

Personally, I would much rather see this built than the highway from Tuscaloosa to Linden.   

The portion from US 43 south of Winfield to the AL 118/AL 129 intersection is likely the proposed Winfield South Bypass.  Most of AL 129 was improved when I-22 was built (I-22 ended at Exit 30 for years), but only a small portion of it is 4-laned.

[asdfjkll]

Google updated all the imagery around Tuscaloosa County to Jan 2022, and its showing significant progress on the Gordo grade/drain project. Pretty much all the grading (up to the subgrade level) and bridges are done except in four areas: Floyd Mill Sand Spring Road (though they probably got that done already since its been 3 months since they took that imagery), Gordo City Road and Ben Elmore staggered T intersection with new US-82 (which can probably proceed once the Floyd Mill realignment is done), SR-159 (the realignment to intersect the new 82 perpendicularly is partially graded but not complete and 159 hasn't been moved onto the realignment yet), and the tie-in at both ends (most notably the east end of the project). Design is underway for paving the mainline and getting the tie-in done at both ends of the grade/drain project. Imagery also shows the starts of the US-82 and US-11 widening projects; the median crossover closures for the median drain construction and new turn lane layouts shows up on imagery but not the drainage work currently underway, and the US-11 project shows the clearing the ROW of buildings and trees where new lanes will be going in between the Mercedes plant and the SR-5 intersection in Woodstock. The imagery also shows the completed I-59 widening project from McFarland to Exit 77.

[roadman65]

Question. Someone posted an article on FB that a 13 feet high trailer tried to enter the 12 feet high Bankhead Tunnel in Mobile.

When I googled it to see when it happened I found no such articles relating to it.

Was there a recent event  of such a crash of of a semi driver hitting the Downtown portal of the tunnel? Or did someone post an article of old not checking the dates as many ( especially myself) have done on here.

[froggie]

It wasn't a news article...it was from some "Mobile Traffic" FB page.  Either the incident mentioned wasn't newsworthy this week or it's old news from early February (when a truck DID get stuck in the tunnel and created quite a mess when the top sheared off).

[bdmoss88]

I noticed this gem yesterday on the exit ramp at I-85 southbound, exit 22 for Shorter. Why would it have Tallassee on this sign? The only way it might make sense is if there was a sign at the other end of the overpass directing you head back north on I-85 to exit 26 which is the Tallassee exit(there isn't one). Was this sign supposed to say Tuskegee?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.4081189,-85.9585758,3a,44.2y,259.19h,90.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoquKySQvDkInOU9cOZXww!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[Tom958]

I noticed this gem yesterday on the exit ramp at I-85 southbound, exit 22 for Shorter. Why would it have Tallassee on this sign? The only way it might make sense is if there was a sign at the other end of the overpass directing you head back north on I-85 to exit 26 which is the Tallassee exit(there isn't one). Was this sign supposed to say Tuskegee?

I guess so, though it's not a very efficient route. How very strange! 

[formulanone]

I noticed this gem yesterday on the exit ramp at I-85 southbound, exit 22 for Shorter. Why would it have Tallassee on this sign? The only way it might make sense is if there was a sign at the other end of the overpass directing you head back north on I-85 to exit 26 which is the Tallassee exit(there isn't one). Was this sign supposed to say Tuskegee?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.4081189,-85.9585758,3a,44.2y,259.19h,90.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoquKySQvDkInOU9cOZXww!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think there's an error "Alabama 80" shield near that exit; I wasn't able to snap it while headed elsewhere, but caught it out of the corner of my eye.

[jdb1234]

I noticed this gem yesterday on the exit ramp at I-85 southbound, exit 22 for Shorter. Why would it have Tallassee on this sign? The only way it might make sense is if there was a sign at the other end of the overpass directing you head back north on I-85 to exit 26 which is the Tallassee exit(there isn't one). Was this sign supposed to say Tuskegee?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.4081189,-85.9585758,3a,44.2y,259.19h,90.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoquKySQvDkInOU9cOZXww!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think there's an error "Alabama 80" shield near that exit; I wasn't able to snap it while headed elsewhere, but caught it out of the corner of my eye.

I know there were/are "Alabama 80" shields at the previous exit.  As for the Tallassee signs, it look like there is a turn on AL 138 just before US 80 that is signed for Tallassee.

[rlb2024]

I noticed this gem yesterday on the exit ramp at I-85 southbound, exit 22 for Shorter. Why would it have Tallassee on this sign? The only way it might make sense is if there was a sign at the other end of the overpass directing you head back north on I-85 to exit 26 which is the Tallassee exit(there isn't one). Was this sign supposed to say Tuskegee?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.4081189,-85.9585758,3a,44.2y,259.19h,90.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoquKySQvDkInOU9cOZXww!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think there's an error "Alabama 80" shield near that exit; I wasn't able to snap it while headed elsewhere, but caught it out of the corner of my eye.

I know there were/are "Alabama 80" shields at the previous exit.  As for the Tallassee signs, it look like there is a turn on AL 138 just before US 80 that is signed for Tallassee.

It also may be that people think they can turn right and get back toward Tallassee since it is north of I-85, but you can't get there heading north at Shorter.

[bdmoss88]

I noticed this gem yesterday on the exit ramp at I-85 southbound, exit 22 for Shorter. Why would it have Tallassee on this sign? The only way it might make sense is if there was a sign at the other end of the overpass directing you head back north on I-85 to exit 26 which is the Tallassee exit(there isn't one). Was this sign supposed to say Tuskegee?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.4081189,-85.9585758,3a,44.2y,259.19h,90.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoquKySQvDkInOU9cOZXww!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think there's an error "Alabama 80" shield near that exit; I wasn't able to snap it while headed elsewhere, but caught it out of the corner of my eye.

I know there were/are "Alabama 80" shields at the previous exit.  As for the Tallassee signs, it look like there is a turn on AL 138 just before US 80 that is signed for Tallassee.

Ok, I just found that one. I can see that route working if exit 26 wasn't there unless these signs predate exit 26. On street view the exit 26 overpass has the newer solid railings with 1985 etched on them while exit 22 and 32 both have older open styled railings so exit 26 was likely built after the others. I wonder if the Tallassee signs at exit 22 are older than 37 years old or have they just left Tallassee on any replacements since then. Was just looking again to see how they looked and zoomed on the wrong side and see the northbound exit also has Tallassee on it. I'm not sure how I haven't noticed that before as many times as I've taken that exit to stop at the Love's there.

[jdb1234]

I noticed this gem yesterday on the exit ramp at I-85 southbound, exit 22 for Shorter. Why would it have Tallassee on this sign? The only way it might make sense is if there was a sign at the other end of the overpass directing you head back north on I-85 to exit 26 which is the Tallassee exit(there isn't one). Was this sign supposed to say Tuskegee?

https://www.google.com/maps/@32.4081189,-85.9585758,3a,44.2y,259.19h,90.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1stoquKySQvDkInOU9cOZXww!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think there's an error "Alabama 80" shield near that exit; I wasn't able to snap it while headed elsewhere, but caught it out of the corner of my eye.

I know there were/are "Alabama 80" shields at the previous exit.  As for the Tallassee signs, it look like there is a turn on AL 138 just before US 80 that is signed for Tallassee.

Ok, I just found that one. I can see that route working if exit 26 wasn't there unless these signs predate exit 26. On street view the exit 26 overpass has the newer solid railings with 1985 etched on them while exit 22 and 32 both have older open styled railings so exit 26 was likely built after the others. I wonder if the Tallassee signs at exit 22 are older than 37 years old or have they just left Tallassee on any replacements since then. Was just looking again to see how they looked and zoomed on the wrong side and see the northbound exit also has Tallassee on it. I'm not sure how I haven't noticed that before as many times as I've taken that exit to stop at the Love's there.

I checked some old Macon County maps here is what I found:

• Exit 26 was indeed added later
  
• AL 229 as originally commissioned ended in Shorter