Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[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.

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

I wonder if Exit 26 was added when the E.V. Smith Research Center facility of Auburn University was built right by there.

[route29]

Exit 26 was built in the mid 80s.  Before Exit 26 was opened, Exit 22 was signed for Shorter and Tallassee from the Interstate and had a AL 229 shield posted (may have been "TO AL 229".  Most likely, the sign on the exit ramp was copied in kind from the original sign.

[bdmoss88]

This old map of the Shorter area does show AL-229 following current CR-40 down to US-80. Mystery solved. 

https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/overlay/AL/AL_Shorter_305039_1971_24000_geo.jpg

[barcncpt44]

Looks like Gadsden will soon be finally getting that I-759 / AL-759 extension.
https://www.al.com/business/2022/05/etowah-county-getting-120-million-in-highway-projects-including-i-759-connector.html

[froggie]

I wouldn't quite call it "soon" since it still won't be let to bid for 2 more years, but still a good sign for those in favor of the project.

[sturmde]

I wouldn't quite call it "soon" since it still won't be let to bid for 2 more years, but still a good sign for those in favor of the project.

And wasn't there always a debate about which "complete" project would complete it?  The strange incomplete College Parkway 4-lane marked "BYP 431" on Google that bypasses Paden Rd and then just "ends"... wasn't that another attempt to "complete" 759 (providing a better I-20 to I-59 via 431 bypass of Anniston and Gadsden?).

[Voyager75]

I’m sure its because of politics or environmental reasons but why not just continue the 759 freeway up the section already cleared off and join 431 by the old Goodyear plant? The only things in that path are a roach motel and a Taco Bell. Put a exit at George Wallace Dr. and make it non access the rest of the route to make it a full I-759 and get rid of the pointless AL-759 section.

As for the 431 bypass section I assume that was just a pork barrel build for the Koch Foods plant.

[roadman65]

Why is AL Freeways having no shoulders on many of its bridges?



This one is one of many I have seen on both I-65 and I-10.

[cjk374]

Why is AL Freeways having no shoulders on many of its bridges?



This one is one of many I have seen on both I-65 and I-10.

All of Louisiana's bridges built before the 80s have no shoulders. Are these Alabama bridges newer or older?

[Georgia]

Why is AL Freeways having no shoulders on many of its bridges?



This one is one of many I have seen on both I-65 and I-10.

these are older bridges, that is why the concrete guardrails look so new, Alabama has had a program to pour modern Jersey-style barriers on the older bridges. 

All of Louisiana's bridges built before the 80s have no shoulders. Are these Alabama bridges newer or older?

[roadman65]

Why is AL Freeways having no shoulders on many of its bridges?



This one is one of many I have seen on both I-65 and I-10.

All of Louisiana's bridges built before the 80s have no shoulders. Are these Alabama bridges newer or older?

Don’t know, but the General WK Wilson Jr. Bridge gets shoulders though. However that might be because the bridge is well over 5 miles in overall length .


[/img][/img]

[froggie]

That's also a newer bridge...one of the last sections of I-65 to be completed.

[roadman65]

Yeah I remember it took forever to link Mobile to Montgomery with a freeway.  For decades I-65 in Mobile was not used by traffic bound for Montgomery and Birmingham as the interstate ended at US 43 in Creola.   That is why the directional ramp NB to US 43 NB is there as remnants of the segment ending.

I imagine that "Montgomery" was not the control city from I-10 or any freeway ramps in Mobile.  Traffic for points north of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta had to use US 31 from Spanish Fort from US 90 as even the Jubilee Parkway was not yet opened to traffic at that point in history.  So the Bankhead and the Battleship Parkway east from Downtown handled what is now two interstate's worth of traffic pre 1980 plus a coin drop at the Bankhead Tunnel as it was originally tolled.

I am going to guess that long legal battles held up the construction of both the Dolly Parton and Bayway bridges due to the Mobile- Tensaw Delta being sensitive wetlands just as GDOT had long battles with environmental groups to get I-95 done in Glynn County, GA near Brunswick due to the wetlands there as well.  I-95 from US 25/341 to US 17 (and then US 84) was the last of I-95 in the Peach State to open as well.

[rlb2024]

Why is AL Freeways having no shoulders on many of its bridges?



This one is one of many I have seen on both I-65 and I-10.

these are older bridges, that is why the concrete guardrails look so new, Alabama has had a program to pour modern Jersey-style barriers on the older bridges. 

All of Louisiana's bridges built before the 80s have no shoulders. Are these Alabama bridges newer or older?

Many Southern states built bridges without shoulders.  Probably as a money-saving measure.  Some of the Interstate bridges (particularly in Mississippi) had shoulders added with TIGER grant money several years ago, but nowhere near all of them.

[asdfjkll]

Why is AL Freeways having no shoulders on many of its bridges?



This one is one of many I have seen on both I-65 and I-10.

Many of these narrow bridges were built in the 1960's and 1970's and something like that built today would not meet federal standards; these were all grandfathered in from the original construction. The old bridge railings on the sides also don't meet today's standards, hence why they did a bridge rail retrofit on the bridge pictured above (the newer concrete on the sides of the bridge covering the old bridge rail). When these old bridges eventually get replaced, they will have full width shoulders as you would expect on an interstate highway (in Tuscaloosa County all the old narrow bridges at exits 73, 76, and 79 were all replaced with a single 6-lane bridge with very wide shoulders as part of the I-20/59 widening projects that occurred over the past decade)

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/Uh2ZVJUgbNvXZLD26
I’ve been noticing some things about the overheads on the infamous AL 210 Ross Clark Circle.  The overhead at US 84 and US 84 Business (as seen above) is been removed part of a current intersection improvement. 

The interesting thing is the project is done and the assembly is not been replaced.
https://goo.gl/maps/CLGaktE1wDkdpR118

Then in other parts of AL 210 they removed others that were erected to guide US Route followers due to old age or inspection failing and never got replaced as well.

Plus Florida has been phasing out overheads on arterial routes and just using ground mounts in many locations as well.


What is up with AL DOT and them not keeping overheads at busy intersections along AL 210 and forcing us to read ground mount sine salads instead?

[wriddle082]

Why is AL Freeways having no shoulders on many of its bridges?



This one is one of many I have seen on both I-65 and I-10.

Many of these narrow bridges were built in the 1960's and 1970's and something like that built today would not meet federal standards; these were all grandfathered in from the original construction. The old bridge railings on the sides also don't meet today's standards, hence why they did a bridge rail retrofit on the bridge pictured above (the newer concrete on the sides of the bridge covering the old bridge rail). When these old bridges eventually get replaced, they will have full width shoulders as you would expect on an interstate highway (in Tuscaloosa County all the old narrow bridges at exits 73, 76, and 79 were all replaced with a single 6-lane bridge with very wide shoulders as part of the I-20/59 widening projects that occurred over the past decade)

Most of TN’s original bridges built in the 60’s also lacked shoulders, but nearly all were rehabbed throughout the 80’s and 90’s and had the shoulders widened with the piers extended out as needed.  Many bridges in KY and WV are also lacking in shoulders, but when most were rehabbed the shoulders weren’t added unless the piers were completely rebuilt.

[asdfjkll]

The northern half of the Linden Bypass project is on the next ALDOT Letting! The plans are even available for viewing, usually it gets posted a few days after the list of projects letting are posted on the website. Like the south half, there are asphalt and concrete alternatives (asphalt will probably be the low bid once again). On page 147/148 on the plan PDF it somehow shows SR-69 having an SR-303 as well after the Linden Bypass ties back into SR-69, but I believe that is probably some sort of error and a flagged revision to remove those extra SR-303 signs will be coming. Bracket estimate for the northern half is between $75 million and $92 million (there are some longer bridges on this section going over large creeks and it is 1.6 miles longer than the southern section). https://alletting.dot.state.al.us/WEBPROPS/2022/20220729/NTC_July_29_2022.html#CALL041

[bigdave]

Most of TN’s original bridges built in the 60’s also lacked shoulders, but nearly all were rehabbed throughout the 80’s and 90’s and had the shoulders widened with the piers extended out as needed.  Many bridges in KY and WV are also lacking in shoulders, but when most were rehabbed the shoulders weren’t added unless the piers were completely rebuilt.

I grew up in East Tennessee with a lot of family in Virginia. I noticed that whenever we crossed the state line into Virginia, the roads get better.

Now I live in North Alabama and I notice that when I cross the border into Tennessee, the roads get better.

 

It doesn't help that our governor likes to spend money on roads to nowhere....

[Alps]

Most of TN’s original bridges built in the 60’s also lacked shoulders, but nearly all were rehabbed throughout the 80’s and 90’s and had the shoulders widened with the piers extended out as needed.  Many bridges in KY and WV are also lacking in shoulders, but when most were rehabbed the shoulders weren’t added unless the piers were completely rebuilt.

I grew up in East Tennessee with a lot of family in Virginia. I noticed that whenever we crossed the state line into Virginia, the roads get better.

Now I live in North Alabama and I notice that when I cross the border into Tennessee, the roads get better.

 

It doesn't help that our governor likes to spend money on roads to nowhere....

pennsylvania to anywhere

[codyg1985]

ALDOT has put up preliminary plans on it’s letting page for the I-59 widening in Trussville between I-459 and Chalkville Road. This also will involve full depth reconstruction of the pavement. The state is seeking input from contractors on how to construct this project with minimal disruption to traffic yet doing so in an abbreviated time frame.

[barcncpt44]

The mayor of Gulf Shores still wants ALDOT to build a new Intercoastal Waterway bridge near the current Foley Beach Express bridge.  Does he not realize that it will solve nothing about the AL-59 traffic unless the new bridge and road leads to AL-182?
https://www.al.com/news/2022/07/we-cannot-live-like-this-gulf-shores-mayor-renews-call-for-new-coastal-bridge-urges-grassroots-support.html

[froggie]

^ He probably does, but there's a lawsuit settlement relating to construction of The Lodge (which the state used BP oil spill money to help fund) which prohibits the state or any local agency from building a north-south road through Gulf State Park for the next 20 years.  Given that the park stretches almost the entire width from AL 59 to AL 161, any direct connection is basically off the table.

[Voyager75]

AL-4 shields have been put up along 3rd Ave N in downtown B’Ham. Didn’t know it split off from US-78 when it and US-11 go down 1st Ave N.

https://imgur.com/a/ogrlf5G

[codyg1985]

Wow and those don’t look like contractor installs either.