AARoads Forum

Well Alabama related, North though, I read that there might be an extension of I565 in Huntsville, anyone else know anything along these lines?

^^ Here's some information that I found, that may be helpful to you.

http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-565_al.html (http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-565_al.html)


Be well,

Bryant

Only thing I've heard about any new limited access highway in Huntsville is the possibility that the southern toll bypass of Huntsville may come to fruition: http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3116 (http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3116)

LOL Bryant, AAroads runs Interstate-Guide. But hey, being helpful is always good.

^^ I know. It was only info I could find.  :sombrero:

Be well,

Bryant

Quote from: AARoads on January 26, 2009, 03:17:19 PM
Only thing I've heard about any new limited access highway in Huntsville is the possibility that the southern toll bypass of Huntsville may come to fruition: http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3116 (http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/3116)

Update on the Huntsville Southern Bypass: The US Army has had the project blocked (http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/local.ssf?/base/news/1240391803127260.xml&coll=1) due to security concerns. So its back to square one for ALDOT.

from the article:

Quoteblah blah blah blah blah blah terrorist attack blah blah blah blah blah blah

news flash: Bush is out of office.  We can think like rational beings now.

I'm sure they could find another route for it. I-10 would run along the coast of Florida if it were not for the military, who wanted it moved inland so it couldnt be bombarded by submarines and the like!

Quote from: austrini on June 04, 2009, 08:58:27 AM
I'm sure they could find another route for it. I-10 would run along the coast of Florida if it were not for the military, who wanted it moved inland so it couldnt be bombarded by submarines and the like!

It would be very difficult to do so. Redstone Arsenal basically forms an area bordered by I-565 to the north and the Tennessee River to the south, Zierdt Rd (between Madison and Huntsville) to the west and Jordan Lane to the east.  One option would be to route the bypass to the east of Redstone Arsenal, but it would be very expensive and it would cut off neighborhoods from the rest of the city. Routing the bypass farther out so it doesn't go next to some larger offices within the arsenal is another option, but I don't see the Army allowing that to happen, either.

QuoteI-10 would run along the coast of Florida if it were not for the military, who wanted it moved inland so it couldnt be bombarded by submarines and the like!

Must be a Florida thing.  In Mississippi, I-10 runs inland so it would have less chance of being flooded.  For example:  notice how soon I-10 was reopened after Katrina as compared to US 90.

QuoteIt would be very difficult to do so. Redstone Arsenal basically forms an area bordered by I-565 to the north and the Tennessee River to the south, Zierdt Rd (between Madison and Huntsville) to the west and Jordan Lane to the east.  One option would be to route the bypass to the east of Redstone Arsenal, but it would be very expensive and it would cut off neighborhoods from the rest of the city.

They could go west of HST and south of Redstone, though that would require two additional crossings of the Tennessee River.

Quote from: froggie on June 04, 2009, 10:18:34 AM
They could go west of HST and south of Redstone, though that would require two additional crossings of the Tennessee River.

They could do one crossing of the Tennessee River southwest of Redstone Arsenal (RSA), which is needed anyway IMO, and then parallel AL 36 to Lacey Springs at US 231. The US 231 Tennessee River bridges are going to eventually be three lanes each direction once the southbound bridge is replaced. That could be utilized as a river crossing for the bypass (and later the Memphis-Huntsville-Atlanta freeway, if ever built) if both approaches are retooled to be limited-access.

The Huntsville MPO and ALDOT have developed a new routing for the Huntsville Southern Bypass, otherwise known as Patriot Pkwy. Instead of going through Redstone Arsenal close to office buildings, the route will instead follow the eastern boundary of the arsenal. The route will start at the I-565/Jordan Ln interchange and proceed due south, overlaying Jordan Ln and Patton Road to just north of Gate 10 of the arsenal, From there it will take a southeasterly jog, hugging the boundary of the arsenal and will rejoin the original route at Martin Road.

Huntsville Times: New route for Patriot Parkway in 2035 plan (http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/local.ssf?/base/news/1259835326234230.xml&coll=1)

Draft Huntsville HMO 2035 long-range transportation plan (PDF (http://www.hsvcity.com/Planning/mpo/docs/draftfinal2035plan.pdf)

Personally, I don't think this will be built without toll funding. With this new routing, the ROW will be more expensive to acquire, and more roads will probably need to be relocated.

When I attended an ALDOT STIP meeting in 2003, the engineers there stated that the Huntsville bypass would probably be the only thing built of all the pipe dream projects the state had envisioned at the time. They included the Florence to Mobile freeway and the US 72 corridor freeway among others...

I noted no county route signage in Madison County yesterday or the day before. Looking at the DOT map (http://cpmsweb2.dot.state.al.us/TransPlan/Maps/Survey/45/45-Madison-s1.pdf), there are none posted there. So was there ever a county road system in place, or are the numbers only used internally? I traveled south along Winchester Road from Tennessee on Sunday and found it difficult to know how far I was from U.S. 231/431. Even the junction with Memorial was not signed with any shielding, and the first U.S. 231/431 assembly I found on southbound was not until junction U.S. 72. The freeway portion of U.S. 231 is not signed well with reassurance shields either...

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Took Research Park Boulevard / Alabama 255 yesterday and saw a stub end at the north end. What were/are the plans for the route leading north?

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Alabama 20 was scraped off guide signage for Interstate 565; U.S. 72 Alternate shields are consistently posted along side the stand alone shields. So if they removed Alabama 20, why didn't they add U.S. 72A shields?

Quote from: AARoads on December 29, 2009, 10:43:02 AM
I noted no county route signage in Madison County yesterday or the day before. Looking at the DOT map (http://cpmsweb2.dot.state.al.us/TransPlan/Maps/Survey/45/45-Madison-s1.pdf), there are none posted there. So was there ever a county road system in place, or are the numbers only used internally? I traveled south along Winchester Road from Tennessee on Sunday and found it difficult to know how far I was from U.S. 231/431. Even the junction with Memorial was not signed with any shielding, and the first U.S. 231/431 assembly I found on southbound was not until junction U.S. 72. The freeway portion of U.S. 231 is not signed well with reassurance shields either...

---

Madison County signage is poor at best. The street name signs are difficult to read at higher speeds, and in some cases if there are spaces in the name of the street, they are left out so that the name runs together so that the road name can fit on the sign. Another thing about Madison County roads is that a lot of them change names a zillion times. You will be driving down the road and all of a sudden you are on a different road only to find out that the road name you are meant to follow actually at the last turn-off.  Generally, at least, Madison County does a good job of putting up warning signs for upcoming intersections.

I believe that both Huntsville City, the local ALDOT district, and Madison County do a poor job at signs that better direct out of town travelers.  You have to know street names and route names to get around in Madison County as there is no indication of what city or part of the city the road leads to. It probably would have been faster for you to use Moores Mill Road from Winchester Road to get to Huntsville (right before the construction to widen Winchester Road to five lanes), but no signs help you out there. . US 231 is better signed along the areas of the parkway that have been upgraded to freeway/service road configuration, but I agree that more, and larger, reassurance shields should be posted. Intersecting streets get signed with the appropriate shields. I think upcoming streets should be signed with signs similar to those that you may have seen on US 231/431 saying "Mastin Lake Road, Next Street".  This is done really well with BGS versions of these signson University Drive (US 72) between Memorial Pkwy and Research Park Blvd (AL 255). I agree there should be mileage signs along major roads coming into and going out of Huntsville showing the mileage to the next city as there are none to be seen, even on state roads, except for I-565 west and AL 53 north.

Quote from: AARoads on December 29, 2009, 10:43:02 AM
Took Research Park Boulevard / Alabama 255 yesterday and saw a stub end at the north end. What were/are the plans for the route leading north?

Plans are to incorporate Research Park Blvd into a northern bypass of Huntsville. Did you take Research Park Blvd until it turned into a two-lane road? The freeway portion ends south of Dan Tibbs Road and AL 53, and the service roads extend north and then east to Pulaski Pike and a Toyota Motor Plant. In the next year or so the freeway portion will be extended to just north of AL 53. Sometime in the next five years the service roads will be extended to US 231/431, and from there the route will curve around to intersect Moores Mill Road, Winchester Road northeast of Bell Factory Road, and US 72 west of Gurley.

BTW, The road changes names five times. It is Rideout Road south of I-565 into Redstone Arsenal, Research Park Blvd from I-565 to AL 53, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd from AL 53 to Pulaski Pike, and Bob Wade Ln from Pulaski Pike to Us 231/431, and Countess Rod from US 231/431 to Moores Mill Road. The portion of the road that was Research Park Blvd used to be Rideout Road until it was extended from US 72 to AL 53.

Quote from: AARoads on December 29, 2009, 10:43:02 AM
Alabama 20 was scraped off guide signage for Interstate 565; U.S. 72 Alternate shields are consistently posted along side the stand alone shields. So if they removed Alabama 20, why didn't they add U.S. 72A shields?

I believe that AL 20 is hidden along I-565/US 72 Alt. It no longer follows Madison Blvd as it used to, and I think that the cities of Huntsville and Madison maintain that road now. Another interesting note is that Alt US 72 is also signed along AL 53/Jordan Ln southbound from US 72 south to I-565.

Quote from: codyg1985 on December 29, 2009, 11:18:58 AM

I believe that AL 20 is hidden along I-565/US 72 Alt. It no longer follows Madison Blvd as it used to, and I think that the cities of Huntsville and Madison maintain that road now.

According to ALDOT, AL 20 ends at I-565.  I remember that until recently, Alt US 72 was barely signed along I-565.

Quote
Another interesting note is that Alt US 72 is also signed along AL 53/Jordan Ln southbound from US 72 south to I-565.

I wondered if those shield were still there along Jordan Ln.

Quote from: AARoads on December 29, 2009, 10:43:02 AM


Alabama 20 was scraped off guide signage for Interstate 565; U.S. 72 Alternate shields are consistently posted along side the stand alone shields. So if they removed Alabama 20, why didn't they add U.S. 72A shields?

Just arrived in Huntsville this afternoon.  I only noticed a scraped off guide sign for AL 20 at the I-65/565 split.

Quote from: jdb1234 on March 13, 2010, 05:17:24 PM

Quote from: AARoads on December 29, 2009, 10:43:02 AM


Alabama 20 was scraped off guide signage for Interstate 565; U.S. 72 Alternate shields are consistently posted along side the stand alone shields. So if they removed Alabama 20, why didn't they add U.S. 72A shields?

Just arrived in Huntsville this afternoon.  I only noticed a scraped off guide sign for AL 20 at the I-65/565 split.

If you look carefully at the exit 17B sign (AL 53 south, Governors Drive) (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=huntsville,+al&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.784549,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Huntsville,+Limestone,+Alabama&ll=34.718387,-86.631725&spn=0.004057,0.010568&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.718438,-86.632487&panoid=XVyXrmyYFhrzj2Ipn-XC6g&cbp=12,73.84,,0,-13.27), you can see where at one time it had two shields; one for AL 53 South and one for AL 20 East. The exit sign for Madison Blvd/County Line Road used to only say Madison and indicate AL 20 East. There is one old sign on eastbound Old Madison Pike (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=huntsville,+al&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.784549,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Huntsville,+Limestone,+Alabama&ll=34.713237,-86.667988&spn=0.004057,0.010568&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.713235,-86.668106&panoid=QnO81n3IXc99bUbZmFhOUg&cbp=12,122.38,,0,-2.49) just east of AL 255 that says To East AL 20.

Quote from: codyg1985 on March 13, 2010, 06:09:22 PM

Quote from: jdb1234 on March 13, 2010, 05:17:24 PM

Quote from: AARoads on December 29, 2009, 10:43:02 AM


Alabama 20 was scraped off guide signage for Interstate 565; U.S. 72 Alternate shields are consistently posted along side the stand alone shields. So if they removed Alabama 20, why didn't they add U.S. 72A shields?

Just arrived in Huntsville this afternoon.  I only noticed a scraped off guide sign for AL 20 at the I-65/565 split.

If you look carefully at the exit 17B sign (AL 53 south, Governors Drive), you can see where at one time it had two shields; one for AL 53 South and one for AL 20 East. The exit sign for Madison Blvd/County Line Road used to only say Madison and indicate AL 20 East. There is [url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=huntsville,+al&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.784549,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Huntsville,+Limestone,+Alabama&ll=34.713237,-86.667988&spn=0.004057,0.010568&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.713235,-86.668106&panoid=QnO81n3IXc99bUbZmFhOUg&cbp=12,122.38,,0,-2.49]one old sign on eastbound Old Madison Pike (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=huntsville,+al&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.784549,86.572266&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Huntsville,+Limestone,+Alabama&ll=34.718387,-86.631725&spn=0.004057,0.010568&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.718438,-86.632487&panoid=XVyXrmyYFhrzj2Ipn-XC6g&cbp=12,73.84,,0,-13.27) just east of AL 255 that says To East AL 20.

That right, I forgot about the one there.  Noticed two clearview signs on University Dr near UAH.

Found a few bubble I-565 shields around town (I see Hoover is not the only place in the state with bubble shields).  Also found a sign showing a multiplex between US 231 N/ AL 53 N/ US 431 S/ US 72 E.  I am pretty sure those routes in those directions do not multiplex along Memorial Pkwy at Drake Ave.

Quote from: jdb1234 on March 15, 2010, 06:06:32 PM
Found a few bubble I-565 shields around town (I see Hoover is not the only place in the state with bubble shields).  Also found a sign showing a multiplex between US 231 N/ AL 53 N/ US 431 S/ US 72 E.  I am pretty sure those routes in those directions do not multiplex along Memorial Pkwy at Drake Ave.

Yeah, those shields are wrong. I think ALDOT was intending to direct motorists to US 72 and US 431, but they did a bad job of it there. US 431 joins US 231 at Governors Drive, and US 72 joins US 231/431 at University Drive.

I can't remember where all of the bubble I-565 shields are. I know one of them is off of AL 53 north at AL 255/Research Park Blvd.

I didn't realize Huntsville was in Madison County.  Huntsville, AR is also in Madison County.

Quote from: codyg1985 on March 15, 2010, 06:12:16 PM

Quote from: jdb1234 on March 15, 2010, 06:06:32 PM
Found a few bubble I-565 shields around town (I see Hoover is not the only place in the state with bubble shields).  Also found a sign showing a multiplex between US 231 N/ AL 53 N/ US 431 S/ US 72 E.  I am pretty sure those routes in those directions do not multiplex along Memorial Pkwy at Drake Ave.

Yeah, those shields are wrong. I think ALDOT was intending to direct motorists to US 72 and US 431, but they did a bad job of it there. US 431 joins US 231 at Governors Drive, and US 72 joins US 231/431 at University Drive.

I can't remember where all of the bubble I-565 shields are. I know one of them is off of AL 53 north at AL 255/Research Park Blvd.

From my experience, I have found that the signage on Memorial Parkway can get very messy in certain spots.

The bubble shields I saw were on Memorial Pkwy Southbound at the ramp to I-565 West (It was on the gore point sign) and the other was on the first guide sign for I-565 on AL 255 Southbound.

Quote from: bugo on March 15, 2010, 06:15:46 PM
I didn't realize Huntsville was in Madison County.  Huntsville, AR is also in Madison County.

Yeah, I realized that a quite back. I wonder which Huntsville was founded first? Now if only Huntsville, AR gets involved with aerospace somehow.

Quote from: jdb1234 on March 15, 2010, 07:49:24 PM

Quote from: codyg1985 on March 15, 2010, 06:12:16 PM

Quote from: jdb1234 on March 15, 2010, 06:06:32 PM
Found a few bubble I-565 shields around town (I see Hoover is not the only place in the state with bubble shields).  Also found a sign showing a multiplex between US 231 N/ AL 53 N/ US 431 S/ US 72 E.  I am pretty sure those routes in those directions do not multiplex along Memorial Pkwy at Drake Ave.

Yeah, those shields are wrong. I think ALDOT was intending to direct motorists to US 72 and US 431, but they did a bad job of it there. US 431 joins US 231 at Governors Drive, and US 72 joins US 231/431 at University Drive.

I can't remember where all of the bubble I-565 shields are. I know one of them is off of AL 53 north at AL 255/Research Park Blvd.

From my experience, I have found that the signage on Memorial Parkway can get very messy in certain spots.

The bubble shields I saw were on Memorial Pkwy Southbound at the ramp to I-565 West (It was on the gore point sign) and the other was on the first guide sign for I-565 on AL 255 Southbound.

The signage on Memorial Pkwy is pretty crappy. There is little to no advance signage for upcoming exits. For example, if you are trying to follow US 431 south past I-565, there is only one sign saying that US 431 exits off, and that sign is currently being replaced (AGAIN) because it fell off the gantry. A few years ago the original sign gantry was found to be of the same design as one at the I-65/565 interchange that fell onto the roadway, so it was taken down, and it took a couple of YEARS before it was replaced. I'm afraid that US 72 will be treated the same way along it's triplex with US 231/431 when the Max Luther/Sparkman overpasses are completed. What's just as bad, there are no control cities to speak of in either direction, which irks me. I think that ALDOT doesn't really see Memorial Pkwy as a freeway so much as they see it as a super-arterial, meaning that it doesn't need any of the advance signage and control cities that freeways and interstates have.

Quote from: codyg1985 on March 16, 2010, 08:04:52 AM
The signage on Memorial Pkwy is pretty crappy. There is little to no advance signage for upcoming exits. For example, if you are trying to follow US 431 south past I-565, there is only one sign saying that US 431 exits off, and that sign is currently being replaced (AGAIN) because it fell off the gantry. A few years ago the original sign gantry was found to be of the same design as one at the I-65/565 interchange that fell onto the roadway, so it was taken down, and it took a couple of YEARS before it was replaced. I'm afraid that US 72 will be treated the same way along it's triplex with US 231/431 when the Max Luther/Sparkman overpasses are completed. What's just as bad, there are no control cities to speak of in either direction, which irks me. I think that ALDOT doesn't really see Memorial Pkwy as a freeway so much as they see it as a super-arterial, meaning that it doesn't need any of the advance signage and control cities that freeways and interstates have.

The road itself is crappy.  I've been to Huntsville a few times, but I remember being there at rush hour only once, 'bout five years ago I think.  So I don't know what conditions are usually like, but on that day traffic on the Pkwy was a nightmare.  I remember thinking that it was one of the worst-designed city freeways I'd ever driven.  There's less weaving going on at a Hanes t-shirt plant! 

And you're right about the signs, although I've only had a problem finding the one I need when moving at more than, say, 35mph.

Quote from: codyg1985 on March 16, 2010, 08:04:52 AM

Quote from: bugo on March 15, 2010, 06:15:46 PM
I didn't realize Huntsville was in Madison County.  Huntsville, AR is also in Madison County.

Yeah, I realized that a quite back. I wonder which Huntsville was founded first? Now if only Huntsville, AR gets involved with aerospace somehow.

Huntsville, AR has a Governor Road (named after well known white supremacist governor Orval Faubus.)  Huntsville, AL has a Governor's Drive.

Arrived in Huntsville earlier today, saw a clearview sign for UAH an the service road for I-565 at the Sparkman/Bob Wallace Ave intersection.

Also, I read this morning that US 72 is going to be upgraded to a freeway east of I-565 for a few miles, but it will be a few years before construction starts.

Quote from: jdb1234 on August 20, 2010, 08:35:46 PM
Arrived in Huntsville earlier today, saw a clearview sign for UAH an the service road for I-565 at the Sparkman/Bob Wallace Ave intersection.

Also, I read this morning that US 72 is going to be upgraded to a freeway east of I-565 for a few miles, but it will be a few years before construction starts.

I attended the public meeting for that project last week. Here are some of the images I got from one of the maps:

Plan views:
Photo 1 (http://imgur.com/hvdLX.jpg)
Photo 2 (http://imgur.com/6ZYZ3.jpg)
Photo 3 (http://imgur.com/AjGy3.jpg)
Photo 4 (http://imgur.com/pztui.jpg) (sorry for the blurriness)
Photo 5 (http://imgur.com/M5HpS.jpg)
Photo 6 (http://imgur.com/jSpBi.jpg)
Photo 7 (http://imgur.com/7672a.jpg)
Photo 8 (http://imgur.com/rgh7X.jpg)
Photo 9 (http://imgur.com/W7bas.jpg)
Photo 10 (http://imgur.com/bdStK.jpg)
Photo 11 (http://imgur.com/W7EXt.jpg)

Cross-sections:
Photo 12 (http://imgur.com/JB82T.jpg)
Photo 13 (http://imgur.com/zz69D.jpg)

I couldn't get a straight answer on whether it would be designed to interstate specs. The main lanes will have full paved shoulders, but the question is the curve at the beginning of the project. The ALDOT reps were not sure of the exact design speed of the curve. I got anywhere from 55 mph to 65 mph, so I guess we will see. I can't see it being anymore than 60. ROW acquisition should begin later this year or early next year, with design happening next year. Construction could begin late 2011 or in 2012. The service roads will be built first, and then the main lanes will be built in a separate project right after ths service roads are finished.

It should be noted that this project does not eliminate the at-grade intersection with Epworth Drive at the top of Chapman Mountain. This will be converted to an interchange later on. The project appears on the ALDOT Five Year Plan, but the ALDOT represenatives at the meeting said that project would be paid for by the City of Huntsville.

QuoteI couldn't get a straight answer on whether it would be designed to interstate specs.

Based on that cross-section, it's not.  For a narrow/urban median, I-spec would be a 10ft inside shoulder, which in conjunction with the median barrier means a minimum 22ft median.  Those cross-sections show an 18ft median.

Quote from: jdb1234 on August 20, 2010, 08:35:46 PM
Arrived in Huntsville earlier today, saw a clearview sign for UAH an the service road for I-565 at the Sparkman/Bob Wallace Ave intersection.

There'a also Clearview UAHuntsville signs along University/US 72 on either side of the Sparkman Dr. interchange. Also, there's a Clearview sign along US 231/431/Memorial Pkwy southbound just north of US 431/Governors Drive.

Quote from: froggie on August 23, 2010, 09:42:41 AM

QuoteI couldn't get a straight answer on whether it would be designed to interstate specs.

Based on that cross-section, it's not.  For a narrow/urban median, I-spec would be a 10ft inside shoulder, which in conjunction with the median barrier means a minimum 22ft median.  Those cross-sections show an 18ft median.

That's not true at all.  10 ft is the desired minimum, but offhand I believe the absolute minimum is 4' to 6'.  Maybe it's even 8', but I know it's not 10'.  If it's 8', there's your 18 ft median right there.

I have the doc straight from AASHTO.  10ft minimum for an urban cross section.  Numerous locations where less exists, of course, but those all require waivers.  The 4ft minimum is for rural 4-lane cross-sections.

I must be remembering state agency standards then, because my memory says "12ft right, 10ft left desirable; 10ft right, 8ft left min"...

Quote from: codyg1985 on December 03, 2009, 06:42:44 AM
Huntsville Times: New route for Patriot Parkway in 2035 plan (http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/local.ssf?/base/news/1259835326234230.xml&coll=1)

Draft Huntsville HMO 2035 long-range transportation plan (PDF (http://www.hsvcity.com/Planning/mpo/docs/draftfinal2035plan.pdf)

Here is Tennessee Valley Authority Regional Growth Coordination Plan of 2009 that is referenced in the proposed Constitutional Amendment regarding transportation (it is mentioned in regard to Redstone Arsenal) that will be voted on in November:

http://www.tvrgcp.com/final_reports/task7_transportation_042309.pdf

It was financed by Department of Defense to assess impact of incoming military personnel to Redstone Arsenal on surrounding area.  I just glanced through it and nothing jumped out at me.  I did think it might be interesting for those with interest in Huntsville to compare to the "2035" document.

Quote from: Grzrd on September 17, 2010, 10:33:41 AM

Quote from: codyg1985 on December 03, 2009, 06:42:44 AM
Huntsville Times: New route for Patriot Parkway in 2035 plan (http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/local.ssf?/base/news/1259835326234230.xml&coll=1)

Draft Huntsville HMO 2035 long-range transportation plan (PDF (http://www.hsvcity.com/Planning/mpo/docs/draftfinal2035plan.pdf)

Here is Tennessee Valley Authority Regional Growth Coordination Plan of 2009 that is referenced in the proposed Constitutional Amendment regarding transportation (it is mentioned in regard to Redstone Arsenal) that will be voted on in November:

http://www.tvrgcp.com/final_reports/task7_transportation_042309.pdf

It was financed by Department of Defense to assess impact of incoming military personnel to Redstone Arsenal on surrounding area.  I just glanced through it and nothing jumped out at me.  I did think it might be interesting for those with interest in Huntsville to compare to the "2035" document.

I agree with everything except that the overpasses at US 72 and Moores Mill Rd/Shields Rd or US 72/Epworth Dr are not mentioned in that document. That is a pressing need that needs to be addressed ASAP. I also don't understand why the Weatherly Rd Extension is included since there is no mention of the Southern Bypass in that document, especially since the Army canned the routing of it. I guess the Weatherly Rd Extension would allow people to go jump into a swamp or something. Also, their routing of the eastern bypass doesn't agree with the one presented at the ALDOT planning meeting a few weeks ago, which shows a much shorter and (IMO) and more sensible routing for the eastern bypass.

Quick question: Coming from Atlanta, what's the best way to come into Huntsville? Follow U.S. 278 West to U.S. 431 North, or follow I-20 West to I-65 North to I-565 East? I'm planning a daytrip, to get footage of U.S. 231/Memorial Pkwy. and I-565. I'm leaning towards the former routing, to get footage of I-759 in Gadsden.


Be well,

Bryant

Another option is to follow I-75 to Chattanooga, then I-24 west to US 72, then US 72 west to Huntsville. The former option you mentioned means a lot of red lights, especially on US 431.

^^ Okay. Thanks, Cody.


Be well,

Bryant

Speaking of Huntsville... nice vid, Cody.




Be well,

Bryant

^ Thanks, Bryant. I need to find a way to get a tripod to sit in the front passenger floorboard of my car. It won't fit, so I haven't done anymore videos yet. :(

^^

You're welcome. How do you feel about using velcro to mount the camera to your dashboard? That's another alternative. I haven't had too much luck, myself, with using a tripod.


Be well,

Bryant

Here's I-565 in its entirety.




Be well,

Bryant

^ Nice video, Bryant! What was going on at the beginning with the lens going in and out of focus?
It's crazy how far west Huntsville's city limits extend. They have been annexing land out in Limestone County for a while now, almost completely boxing in Madison.

That last interchange of I-565 with US 72 west was built around 2003 or so. Plans are to extend the limited access portion over the mountain to past Shields Rd. There's also talk of extending I-565 to the west towards Decatur as well.

^^

Thanks, Cody. I noticed it (the in/out of focus) when I was editing the video. I don't know what it was. I guess the mount was a bit shaky in those few moments. It did that on another video that I'm editing: AL 759/I-759. It's the first time that it's done that.

I'd read that, about I-565 being extended in either direction: east and west. I would've gotten some footage in Decatur, but I was running out of SD card space and time. I'll save that for another time, I guess.

Thanks again!


Be well,

Bryant

Quote from: codyg1985 on October 27, 2010, 01:26:36 PM
^ Nice video, Bryant! What was going on at the beginning with the lens going in and out of focus?
It's crazy how far west Huntsville's city limits extend. They have been annexing land out in Limestone County for a while now, almost completely boxing in Madison.

That last interchange of I-565 with US 72 west was built around 2003 or so. Plans are to extend the limited access portion over the mountain to past Shields Rd. There's also talk of extending I-565 to the west towards Decatur as well.

Where would the western extension go?

^ It would overlay existing AL 20/Alt US 72 west from I-65 to US 31. It may go past there to the Tennessee River Bridge, but not past there.

Be well,

Bryant

^ Nice videos of the Governors Drive and Memorial Pkwy construction projects!

^^

Thanks. I've got one more vid from Huntsville and a few from Scottsboro on into Kimball, via U.S. 72.


Be well,

Bryant

Thanks to Alex for telling me about this road.


Be well,

Bryant

^ Nice shot of the overpass construction at AL 53.

I think the next plan is to extend the outer lanes from east of Pulaski Pike to US 231/431 (Memorial Pkwy). I don't know if you could tell, but surveyors have staked out the center line for the future outer lanes between US 231/431 and the end of the four-lane. In a lot of places, the center line shared the center line of Bob Wade Lane.

All Memorial Parkway overpasses closed:

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/12/memorial_parkway_overpasses_cl_1.html (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/12/memorial_parkway_overpasses_cl_1.html)

The city of Huntsville hired a consultant to look at interchange improvements to the I-565/Al 255 interchange near the US Space and Rocket Center. Currently there is a partial cloverleaf with a flyover ramp (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=huntsville,+al&hl=en&ll=34.706358,-86.669426&spn=0.014147,0.01929&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=55.148262,79.013672&t=h&z=16) from WB I-565 to SB AL 255 heading into Redstone Arsenal. There are three other loop ramps, and a C/D road for EB I-565 traffic coming and going from AL 255.

The plan basically calls for a $108 Million stack interchange (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/06/huntsville_consulant_106_milli.html) with all loops to be replaced with direct connector ramps. One question I have is whether the consultant looked at direct connector ramps between I-565 and Old Madison Pike which parallels I-565 to the north and has the new Bridge Street Shopping Mall. Even with the direct flyovers between AL 255 and I-565, without any improvements with the Old Madison Pike interchange, there will still be backups along AL 255 and any ramps that come from I-565 going north on AL 255.

Perhaps the consultant should look at something similar to what the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development did for the I-10/Causeway Blvd/Veterans Memorial Blvd interchange in Metairie, LA (http://www.dotd.la.gov/administration/public_info/projects/causewayinterchange/).

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 29, 2011, 07:55:31 AM
The city of Huntsville hired a consultant to look at interchange improvements to the I-565/Al 255 interchange near the US Space and Rocket Center. Currently there is a partial cloverleaf with a flyover ramp (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=huntsville,+al&hl=en&ll=34.706358,-86.669426&spn=0.014147,0.01929&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=55.148262,79.013672&t=h&z=16) from WB I-565 to SB AL 255 heading into Redstone Arsenal. There are three other loop ramps, and a C/D road for EB I-565 traffic coming and going from AL 255.

In other words, this interchange has stayed the same since it was built back in the 1960s.

Quote
The plan basically calls for a $108 Million stack interchange (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/06/huntsville_consulant_106_milli.html) with all loops to be replaced with direct connector ramps. One question I have is whether the consultant looked at direct connector ramps between I-565 and Old Madison Pike which parallels I-565 to the north and has the new Bridge Street Shopping Mall. Even with the direct flyovers between AL 255 and I-565, without any improvements with the Old Madison Pike interchange, there will still be backups along AL 255 and any ramps that come from I-565 going north on AL 255.

I agree with you here, some improvements to the AL 255/Old Madison Pike are needed and maybe some improvements to the Madison Blvd interchange just west of there.

I wonder why they compared the proposed interchange to Malfunction Junction here in Birmingham, Huntsville already has a comparable interchange in I-565 @ Memorial Parkway.

Quote from: jdb1234 on June 30, 2011, 12:19:47 AM
In other words, this interchange has stayed the same since it was built back in the 1960s.

Correct.

Quote from: jdb1234 on June 30, 2011, 12:19:47 AM
I agree with you here, some improvements to the AL 255/Old Madison Pike are needed and maybe some improvements to the Madison Blvd interchange just west of there.

I wonder why they compared the proposed interchange to Malfunction Junction here in Birmingham, Huntsville already has a comparable interchange in I-565 @ Memorial Parkway.

I don't really know if there are any improvements needed for the Madison Blvd interchange other than maybe a braided ramp if the ramps from Research Park Blvd (AL 255) going west on I-565 are long enough.

I think it was a mistake comparing the improvements to Malfunction Junction or to I-40/65 in Nashville. That conjured up a lot of negative feedback. In reality, it would probably look more like the I-65/459 and the I-65/440 interchanges in Birmingham and Nashville, respectively.

At least the I-565/Memorial Pkwy interchange doesn't have left exits. I think the loop from Mem'l Pkwy NB to I-565 WB should be converted to a flyover and then the ramp from I-565 EB to Mem'l Pkwy SB should be widened and straightened. Every day there is a backup onto I-565 for that exit.

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 30, 2011, 07:25:32 AM
I don't really know if there are any improvements needed for the Madison Blvd interchange other than maybe a braided ramp if the ramps from Research Park Blvd (AL 255) going west on I-565 are long enough.

That is what I was thinking of.

Quote
I think it was a mistake comparing the improvements to Malfunction Junction or to I-40/65 in Nashville. That conjured up a lot of negative feedback. In reality, it would probably look more like the I-65/459 and the I-65/440 interchanges in Birmingham and Nashville, respectively.

Because of the nearby rail line, I pictured it looking similar to the under construction I-65/I-22 interchange in Birmingham.

Quote
At least the I-565/Memorial Pkwy interchange doesn't have left exits. I think the loop from Mem'l Pkwy NB to I-565 WB should be converted to a flyover and then the ramp from I-565 EB to Mem'l Pkwy SB should be widened and straightened. Every day there is a backup onto I-565 for that exit.

When I was in Huntsville back in May, I had to use both ramps and I had forgotten how tight both of them are.  It doesn't help matters with the ramp from I-565 EB to Memorial Parkway SB that it goes over a railroad crossing with Holmes Avenue. 

Arrived in Huntsville earlier today for the weekend.  Did not see a whole lot of changes from May.  Planning to see the progress on the new bridge on Clinton Avenue downtown at some point while I am here

^ The Clinton Ave bridge should be ready to open in about a month or so. Lots of resurfacing projects are ongoing around the county on major routes. Which areas are you checking out?

^ Not sure yet, attending event at the VBCC this weekend.  Probably going to check out US 72 from AL 255 to Memorial Pkwy at some point while I am here.

Noticed several clearview signs on I-565 westbound on my way home this afternoon.

With all of this talk of the newly proposed $7 Billion toll road to criss cross West Alabama, here is story from 1993 that talks about a proposed toll bridge that would connect Huntsville with Cullman via Somerville. It would have crossed the Tennessee River around Triana, AL by way of Wall Triana Hwy.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19890104&id=gsUhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=i50FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1664,616092

Huntsville city councilman pushes completion of Northern Bypass from Pulaski Pike to US 231/431 and eventually, US 72 east (even though the article mentions Moores Mill Rd, it will continue past there):

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/10/huntsville_councilman_richard.html

Alabama 53 widening to Ardmore scheduled out for another 10 years:

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/12/alabama_53_widening_to_ardmore.html#incart_hbx (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2011/12/alabama_53_widening_to_ardmore.html#incart_hbx)

^ I will be surprised to see that finished, just like the widening of Winchester Rd on the other side of the county. Still, at least progres is being made with the current stretch being widened. There was a ROW issue with the current segment. One of the property owners along the route didn't want to settle with ALDOT to sell their property, so it went to court. I think the court ended up ruling in favor of ALDOT.

There has been another public meeting on the interchange of US 72 with Moores Mill Rd and Shields Rd. I have composed a blog post (http://tnvalleytransport.blogspot.com/2011/12/us-72-east-from-epworth-drive-to.html) discussing the design and some of my recommendations on how to improve it. I haven't seen any newspaper or media stories on the public meeting yet.

Opening of Memorial Parkway overpasses at Max Luther, Sparkman Drives to relieve traffic congestion:

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/04/opening_of_memorial_parkway_ov.html (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/04/opening_of_memorial_parkway_ov.html)

I may have to check this out if I visit Huntsville next month.

They had the northbound lanes opened yesterday but they were still working on the southbound lanes (tying the new road to the existing road by milling and leveling).

It is really nice for those of us that live north of town. Now if they would put overpasses at Mastin Lake and Winchester.

So if I'm reading this right, this will technically extend the freeway section on Memorial to north of Sparkman.

Quote from: froggie on April 11, 2012, 11:06:22 AM
So if I'm reading this right, this will technically extend the freeway section on Memorial to north of Sparkman.

That's correct. It will end just shy of Mastin Lake Rd.

Both northbound and southbound lanes of the new overpasses are now open. Some corrections need to be made northbound just south of Mastin Lake Rd where the service road merges in with the main lanes. I'm sure that will be taken care as part of the remaining work to be done.

The next set of overpasses/service roads to be built along Memorial Pkwy will be between Martin Rd and Whitesburg Drive, filling in the gap in freeway there. Demo and right of way have already taken place for this project, but I don't think construction on the service roads will start until 2014 or 2015.

I-565 exit numbers changed for County Line Road, airport, Wall Triana Highway:

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/04/i-565_exit_numbers_changed_for.html

Quote from: jdb1234 on April 27, 2012, 09:38:59 AM
I-565 exit numbers changed for County Line Road, airport, Wall Triana Highway:

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/04/i-565_exit_numbers_changed_for.html

Thanks for posting that.  I've just fixed them in OSM (http://www.openstreetmap.org/browse/changeset/11432953). ;)

Found out earlier this evening that I will be in Huntsville this upcoming weekend.  How bad is Memorial Parkway at rush hour?  Also planning to check out the new overpasses on Memorial Parkway north of town at some point.

The limited access portions of Memorial Pkwy (locals just call it the parkway) north of US 72 and south of Governors Drive, for the most part, flow pretty well. They are jammed with cars, but barring an accident, it keeps flowing. Either end of the limited access portions of the parkway (Mastin Lake Rd on the north end; Blvd South on the south end) can be bottlenecks during afternoon rush hour.

The limited access portion of the parkway between US 72/University Drive and US 431/Governors Drive can be a pain. Some bottlenecks are: the ramp from I-565 east to the parkway south, the parkway north to I-565 west, the parkway north to US 72 west; I-565 east to the parkway north. There is a lot of merging going on in this area over a very short distance. Accidents happen all the time in this area too, which obviously ties up traffic even more. It surprises me that there has been no talk of revamping this portion of the parkway. It carries over 110,000 vehicles per day, more than any stretch of I-565.

I'm guessing then that it would be easier to go all the way down University Drive (US 72) and get on Memorial Parkway southbound there.  My destination is in south Huntsville and I am staying near UAH.

^ Or you could take I-565 east from UAH and get off at Governors Drive (Exit 17B) and hop on the parkway there. That would probably have the same amount of traffic than University Drive, maybe a bit more, but it would be shorter.

Wrong place at the wrong time: Huntsville's most dangerous intersections of 2011:

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/05/in_the_wrong_place_at_the_wron.html#incart_hbx (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/05/in_the_wrong_place_at_the_wron.html#incart_hbx)

Quote
City traffic engineers and police are aware of the University Drive and Jordan Lane "hot spot" and "it gets a great deal of extra traffic calming attention," said Lt. Mark McMurray, supervisor of the Police Department's Special Services Division.

traffic calming?  you mean like chicanes, narrow lanes, and speed bumps?  why the hell would they put that sort of thing on a major arterial intersection?

that said, the accidents described don't sound particularly bad.  inconvenient fender benders, but not seriously injurious.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on May 22, 2012, 07:46:25 PM

Quote
City traffic engineers and police are aware of the University Drive and Jordan Lane "hot spot" and "it gets a great deal of extra traffic calming attention," said Lt. Mark McMurray, supervisor of the Police Department's Special Services Division.

traffic calming?  you mean like chicanes, narrow lanes, and speed bumps?  why the hell would they put that sort of thing on a major arterial intersection?

that said, the accidents described don't sound particularly bad.  inconvenient fender benders, but not seriously injurious.

The City of Huntsville often puts VMS signs along University Drive just east of Jordan Lane showing nag messages like "Move over for emergency vehicles" or "Click it or Ticket." Recently the intersection signal phase timing was changed to have lagging/leading left turns along University Drive. Other than those things, I don't know what other traffic calming measures have been put in place.

Quote from: codyg1985 on May 23, 2012, 06:44:07 AM

The City of Huntsville often puts VMS signs along University Drive just east of Jordan Lane showing nag messages like "Move over for emergency vehicles" or "Click it or Ticket." Recently the intersection signal phase timing was changed to have lagging/leading left turns along University Drive. Other than those things, I don't know what other traffic calming measures have been put in place.

that doesn't sound like "traffic calming" as much as flow optimization (the lead-lag) and just being a douche (encouraging the "move over law")

This is an ambitious schedule that I hope ALDOT can keep up, but I will believe it when I see it. Meanwhile, the County LIne Road interchange just keeps getting pushed back farther and farther.

I-565 could be 6 lanes from I-65 to Wall Triana Highway in 5 years (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/09/i-565_could_be_six_lanes_from.html#incart_river_default)

Sorry for the thread dig, but I moved to the area recently, and wanted to weigh in.

Quote from: codyg1985 on December 29, 2009, 11:18:58 AM
Madison County signage is poor at best. The street name signs are difficult to read at higher speeds, and in some cases if there are spaces in the name of the street, they are left out so that the name runs together so that the road name can fit on the sign. Another thing about Madison County roads is that a lot of them change names a zillion times. You will be driving down the road and all of a sudden you are on a different road only to find out that the road name you are meant to follow actually at the last turn-off.  Generally, at least, Madison County does a good job of putting up warning signs for upcoming intersections.

I believe that both Huntsville City, the local ALDOT district, and Madison County do a poor job at signs that better direct out of town travelers.  You have to know street names and route names to get around in Madison County as there is no indication of what city or part of the city the road leads to. It probably would have been faster for you to use Moores Mill Road from Winchester Road to get to Huntsville (right before the construction to widen Winchester Road to five lanes), but no signs help you out there. . US 231 is better signed along the areas of the parkway that have been upgraded to freeway/service road configuration, but I agree that more, and larger, reassurance shields should be posted. Intersecting streets get signed with the appropriate shields. I think upcoming streets should be signed with signs similar to those that you may have seen on US 231/431 saying "Mastin Lake Road, Next Street".  This is done really well with BGS versions of these signson University Drive (US 72) between Memorial Pkwy and Research Park Blvd (AL 255). I agree there should be mileage signs along major roads coming into and going out of Huntsville showing the mileage to the next city as there are none to be seen, even on state roads, except for I-565 west and AL 53 north.

...in the past month, I can confirm that all of this is still exactly true. My thoughts exactly.

It's not so bad during the daytime, where a keen eye can sort of make out the words on street blades, or use landmarks and variations as guides, but at night, your hopes literally fade very quickly. If you use the flashing lights as a guide, you're okay, but a diamond cross-street sign (never mind an intersection with no additional signage) with no supplemental information below it is almost pointless.

The other thing that irks me is that street blades for minor roads might only contain one road name at an intersection; and by Murphy's Law, usually only the name of the path you were already travelling on.

QuoteI believe that AL 20 is hidden along I-565/US 72 Alt. It no longer follows Madison Blvd as it used to, and I think that the cities of Huntsville and Madison maintain that road now. Another interesting note is that Alt US 72 is also signed along AL 53/Jordan Ln southbound from US 72 south to I-565.

The only AL 20 shield I saw was on the Mooresville Road overpass for I-565, and it was a blue Corridor V shield, to boot.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F08%2FInt565wToInt65ToAL20cvSigns.jpg&hash=0f9042e38d6190c0338826351f49913cd35701e5)

Last weekend, I noticed they "chicaned" the six-way intersection (https://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.858996,-86.748433&spn=0.014685,0.027595&sll=28.400961,-81.447126&sspn=0.031484,0.055189&t=m&z=15&output=classic) of Old Railroad Bed, Wall-Triana, and Harvest Road. Southbound Old RR turns right to a stop sign at Wall-Triana, so you now stop for a four-way signalized intersection. The locals and family told me that the W-T usually has less traffic, and should have been the calmed lanes. But putting more traffic onto routes with less vehicular traffic makes more sense to me. But overall, it seems safer than when I first went though there in 2005 and 2011.

This is going to take some time, although they're a real change of pace from the flat, straight 4/6-lane slabs of South Florida.

Welcome to the area, formulaone!

Quote from: formulanone on August 27, 2013, 10:47:02 PM
It's not so bad during the daytime, where a keen eye can sort of make out the words on street blades, or use landmarks and variations as guides, but at night, your hopes literally fade very quickly. If you use the flashing lights as a guide, you're okay, but a diamond cross-street sign (never mind an intersection with no additional signage) with no supplemental information below it is almost pointless.

There is one location in the county where the cross-street sign has a supplemental plaque below it saying the street name, and that's for Joe Quick Road off of Butler Road in the northeast part of the county. I wished this would become a standard throughout the county. 

Quote from: formulanone on August 27, 2013, 10:47:02 PM
The only AL 20 shield I saw was on the Mooresville Road overpass for I-565, and it was a blue Corridor V shield, to boot.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F08%2FInt565wToInt65ToAL20cvSigns.jpg&hash=0f9042e38d6190c0338826351f49913cd35701e5)

There aren't any others that I know of east of I-65. There are some street blades along Madison Blvd (https://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.694516,-86.707036&spn=0.005358,0.008256&sll=28.400961,-81.447126&sspn=0.031484,0.055189&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=34.69459,-86.707076&panoid=um47awArjC69fdmLMIyR3A&cbp=12,195.79,,0,0.76) that still refer to the road as Alabama Highway 20. Heck, even the frontage road north of I-565 (https://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.644132,-86.843888&spn=0.003773,0.008256&sll=28.400961,-81.447126&sspn=0.031484,0.055189&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=34.644002,-86.843884&panoid=k4u-aMMZjgwKs9VdrB4EUw&cbp=12,352.6,,0,4.5) is labeled Alabama Highway 20 at Greenbrier Road. Apparently, the city of Huntsville still thinks the road exists.

Quote from: formulanone on August 27, 2013, 10:47:02 PM
Last weekend, I noticed they "chicaned" the six-way intersection (https://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=34.858996,-86.748433&spn=0.014685,0.027595&sll=28.400961,-81.447126&sspn=0.031484,0.055189&t=m&z=15&output=classic) of Old Railroad Bed, Wall-Triana, and Harvest Road. Southbound Old RR turns right to a stop sign at Wall-Triana, so you now stop for a four-way signalized intersection. The locals and family told me that the W-T usually has less traffic, and should have been the calmed lanes. But putting more traffic onto routes with less vehicular traffic makes more sense to me. But overall, it seems safer than when I first went though there in 2005 and 2011.

The new intersection at Wall-Triana/Old RR Bed/Harvest is a lot safer. I wished they would have put turn lanes at all approaches to the traffic signal, though, to plan for the future when growth catches up with the intersection improvement. They may have also chosen Wall-Triana as one of the through roads due to it intersecting Harvest Road at a 90 degree angle. It would have been interesting if this would have been a roundabout, but I can imagine the confusion that would set in if one of those would have been put in. Plus, there wasn't a lot of room to put one without having to realign Harvest Road to the north.

One thing you may have been hearing since being here is the lack of road funding for major road projects around here. A lot of the projects have been delayed from five to ten years due to a lack of gasoline tax revenue, supposedly. The widening of I-565 west of Madison; interchanges along Memorial Pkwy at Byrd Springs Road, Lily Flagg Road, and Mastin Lake Road; and interchange at US 72 and Moores Mill Road and Shields Road are some of those projects that got delayed. However, the final ATRIP funding round could possibly restore the interchanges at Lily Flagg Road and Byrd Springs Road.

Low bids were received for the I-565/County Line Road interchange and Old Madison Pike widening between Thornton Research Park and Slaughter Road in the ALDOT bid openings on August 30th.

Reed Contracting Services was the apparent low bidder for the I-565/County Line Road interchange project at $ 9,407,646.52. Reed was also the apparent low bidder for the Old Madison Pike widening and bridge project at $ 5,157,394.47.

Quote from: codyg1985 on August 28, 2013, 07:30:16 AM
Welcome to the area, formulaone!

Thanks!

QuoteOne thing you may have been hearing since being here is the lack of road funding for major road projects around here. A lot of the projects have been delayed from five to ten years due to a lack of gasoline tax revenue, supposedly. The widening of I-565 west of Madison; interchanges along Memorial Pkwy at Byrd Springs Road, Lily Flagg Road, and Mastin Lake Road; and interchange at US 72 and Moores Mill Road and Shields Road are some of those projects that got delayed. However, the final ATRIP funding round could possibly restore the interchanges at Lily Flagg Road and Byrd Springs Road.

I'll be naturally doing my part to buy gas; although with far less traffic lights than South Florida, my fuel economy's raised a couple points.

I emailed staff from the city of Huntsville about more Flashing Yellow Arrow traffic lights, and here is their response:

QuoteYes, the City does plan to implement the Flashing Yellow Arrow at several locations in the coming months at locations where it can be utilized and where the control cabinet is scheduled for upgrade.

I further asked "Which intersections can it be utilized? It would seem like the flashing yellow arrow (FYA) signals would work well along major arterials such as University and Governors where there are lead/lag protected-only left turns." Here was the response to that:

QuoteYes they would, however ALDOT has said they are not going to implement them on State ROW.

So it looks like ALDOT isn't too keen on implementing FYA traffic signals now, or at all.

I forgot to mention this in the thread before, but the city of Huntsville has passed a 1% sales tax increase (http://blog.al.com/breaking/2014/01/cue_the_construction_barrels_h.html#incart_river_default) to raise $125 million over five years. ALDOT will also provide $125 million over five years to fund the following projects:

2014 Projects:
- An extra westbound lane on U.S. 72 East from Shields Road to Maysville Road, along with turn lane and median improvements, $9 million (This is meant as a "short-term" fix for an interchange at Moores Mill Road and Shields Road. That does not appear on the five year plan still, even though it was going to be an APD project. Asking ALDOT about this went nowhere.)

- A new road on Chapman Mountain connecting Epworth Drive with Maysville Road, $5 million. (This will allow ALDOT to eliminate the at-grade intersection at Epworth Drive at US 72 at the top of Chapman Mountain, effectively extending the limited-access portion to the signal with Moores Mill Road).

2015 Projects:
- New Memorial Parkway (US 231) overpasses at Byrd Spring and Lily Flagg roads, including service roads and a reconstructed Martin Road interchange, $64.5 million.

2016 Projects:
- Six-lane University Drive/U.S. 72 West from Providence Main Street to the Limestone County line, $30 million. (I still think just widening this road is a waste of time without introducing proper access management. If ALDOT can pull it off on US 280 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties, they can do it here, too.)

2017 Projects:
- New Memorial Parkway (US 231/431) overpass at Mastin Lake Road and improvements to the main lanes from Sparkman Drive to north of Mastin Lake, $53 million
- The next leg of the Northern Bypass (AL 255) from Pulaski Pike to the Parkway, $20 million
- Upgrades to Cecil Ashburn Drive around the Carl T. Jones Drive intersection in Jones Valley and the U.S. 431 intersection in Hampton Cove, $15 million
- Intersection upgrades, a synchronized traffic light system and possibly extra lanes on Memorial Parkway (US 231) between Weatherly and Hobbs roads, $15 million.

I am skeptical if ALDOT can even hold up to their end of the bargain, saying before that these projects would be delayed by at least 10 years and that they only had about $100 million per year to spend on new roads for the entire state.

2016: The year that shopping in Huntsville/Madison ground to a halt. Well, there's always Capshaw.

US 72 definitely needs less driveway access in that section (between Wall-Triana and Jeff Road), especially around the Hughes Road section.

Never figured out why some of the lights on Memorial weren't grade-separated in order.

There is a possibility that a toll bridge will be built across the Tennessee River just northwest of the existing railroad bridge and US 31/AL 20/Alt US 72 bridges to relieve traffic and provide another route into Decatur from Athens and Huntsville. The catch is that the plan also calls for tolling existing AL 20/Alt US 72 between US 31 and I-565, but it would be converted into a six-lane freeway with frontage roads. Traffic bound for the existing bridges (which will remain free) would use the frontage roads to avoid the toll, but according to the schematic on the attached article, the frontage roads appear to be two-lane, two-way frontage roads, so it would make things  more difficult for those wanting to avoid the toll.

This is related, but a separate project, from the proposal to build an interchange just west of I-565 to provide access to the proposed Sweetwater development, which will include a Bass Pro Shops.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/news/article_a37d360a-bc75-11e3-b26e-001a4bcf6878.html

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 11, 2014, 06:18:15 AMhttp://www.decaturdaily.com/news/article_a37d360a-bc75-11e3-b26e-001a4bcf6878.html

From the comments, I see the idea has widespread local support.  :-D

link to plan (pdf) (http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/decaturdaily.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/3/b1/3b1b22f6-bc3f-11e3-ac53-001a4bcf6878/533f22d06e20c.pdf.pdf)

I'll be very surprised if this plan comes to fruition, mainly because $500m is a lot of money for such a small total volume of traffic.

I say keep it all like it is now.  Folks moved into the area knowing full well of the current infrastructure.

I attended the public meeting for the Jeff Road widening project last night (you may see me in the video below), but a lot of people at the meeting were opposed to widening the road to five lanes in each direction. They want to maintain the small town feel of Monrovia. They cited streets such as Old Madison Pike and Hughes Road in Madison that are examples of what they want. Well if they want clogged roads at peak hours and perhaps at other hours, then that's what they will get if they just widen to three lanes. I suspect that the majority of people that live there (most of which moved there within the past decade) support it being widened to five lanes, but most of the people at the meeting have been in Monrovia for a lot longer.

http://whnt.com/2014/05/22/residents-weigh-in-on-jeff-road-expansion-project/

Those that vote get to decide.  It is just like the primary back May 6th.  Only less than 8% of the registered voters turned out.  So my vote is amplified by the lack of turn out.

Quote from: codyg1985 on January 21, 2014, 06:46:58 AM
I forgot to mention this in the thread before, but If ALDOT can pull it off on US 280 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties, they can do it here, too.)

For the uninitiated, what did they do on US-280? I found this surprisingly candid set of presentation slides (http://www.itsga.org/assets/3-aldot---us-280.pdf) that seems to be from ALDOT, but it's not clear to me exactly what they did or what aspects you're referring to.

That ALDOT presentation was epic!  :clap:

Quote from: New to Seattle on May 30, 2014, 03:11:50 AM

Quote from: codyg1985 on January 21, 2014, 06:46:58 AM
I forgot to mention this in the thread before, but If ALDOT can pull it off on US 280 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties, they can do it here, too.)

For the uninitiated, what did they do on US-280? I found this surprisingly candid set of presentation slides (http://www.itsga.org/assets/3-aldot---us-280.pdf) that seems to be from ALDOT, but it's not clear to me exactly what they did or what aspects you're referring to.

That was indeed an epic presentation! I think that mostly focused on the implementation of the SCATS system along the corridor and not what I was referring to, which was the implementation of Michigan Lefts and the elimination of phases at some of the signals (i.e. side streets can't go straight across and must turn right or left). Here is a page (http://aldotapps.dot.state.al.us/US280/Proposed%20Layout.html) that shows what was done at each intersection. Towards the end of the presentation that you linked, they did talk about that project.

lol @ "Jokers with cellphones"

Quote from: codyg1985 on May 30, 2014, 06:44:38 AM

Quote from: New to Seattle on May 30, 2014, 03:11:50 AM

Quote from: codyg1985 on January 21, 2014, 06:46:58 AM
I forgot to mention this in the thread before, but If ALDOT can pull it off on US 280 in Jefferson and Shelby Counties, they can do it here, too.)

For the uninitiated, what did they do on US-280? I found this surprisingly candid set of presentation slides (http://www.itsga.org/assets/3-aldot---us-280.pdf) that seems to be from ALDOT, but it's not clear to me exactly what they did or what aspects you're referring to.

That was indeed an epic presentation! I think that mostly focused on the implementation of the SCATS system along the corridor and not what I was referring to, which was the implementation of Michigan Lefts and the elimination of phases at some of the signals (i.e. side streets can't go straight across and must turn right or left). Here is a page (http://aldotapps.dot.state.al.us/US280/Proposed%20Layout.html) that shows what was done at each intersection. Towards the end of the presentation that you linked, they did talk about that project.

In other words, Highway 280 redux?

Here's an abandoned piece of Constellation Drive I found recently that's left over from when Huntsville re-did this area and re-aligned the road.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3860/14388497351_b62a653fe7.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVsNYx)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nVsNYx) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3850/14205388677_4caa544c7b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDhk9r)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nDhk9r) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5491/14412007043_834bd948b2.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nXxiA4)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nXxiA4) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2936/14368730176_9f46ff8bdc.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nTHuTb)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nTHuTb) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3837/14205189219_217e4c6894.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDgiRv)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nDgiRv) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
I've never seen a cats-eye reflector like this before:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5523/14205191009_d2d201f0df.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDgjon)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nDgjon) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3889/14390794634_4e768f946a.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVEzSS)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nVEzSS) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2928/14390454232_1d1450d156.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVCQFS)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nVCQFS) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
One of the weird cats-eyes next to a 3M cats-eye:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3870/14205387347_152e0803b5.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDhjKv)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nDhjKv) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3851/14205265330_a81a20c80d.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDgGtL)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nDgGtL) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3866/14391837675_7db6d02365.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVKVWk)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nVKVWk) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3851/14388495671_0b0a012abc.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVsNtz)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nVsNtz) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5075/14388495721_2f8fd3d4f8.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVsNur)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nVsNur) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2900/14390793894_34f360233d.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVEzE7)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nVEzE7) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3847/14205189609_295e7ce24e.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDgiYe)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nDgiYe) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3896/14205189389_4a7db8c413.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDgiUr)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nDgiUr) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5472/14390792914_508bfd823b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVEznd)
Abandoned Stretch of Constellation Drive (https://flic.kr/p/nVEznd) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

There's also this abandoned concrete base near-by. I think it was used for a street lamp at one time.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3876/14390849984_080714cc36.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVESkb)
Abandoned street lamp base? (https://flic.kr/p/nVESkb) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

These signs are near it as well. They mark where St. Clair Avenue used to cross the creek before the substation on the other side of the creek was expanded and the road was taken out.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3890/14205321230_0f26ab2aa2.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDgZ6y)
Abandoned sign (https://flic.kr/p/nDgZ6y) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14205274338_9d2f89cf4b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nDgKa5)
Abandoned sign (https://flic.kr/p/nDgKa5) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2931/14390849424_0570180221.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nVESaw)
Abandoned sign (https://flic.kr/p/nVESaw) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

Huntsville's repaved Jessamine Lane, Corely Drive, and W. Tupelo Drive.

I emailed Huntsville a little while back about the red arrows and the FYAs and they responded a few days ago.
The red arrows will be installed city-wide after they finish installing them on the highways.
The FYAs will be installed in the fiscal year of 2015 (that's probably when they'll have the room in the budget to do it).

Southcrest Drive, Haven Street, and a little bit of Cassandra Avenue have been repaved.

Two weeks ago, I drove down Wall Triana south of the airport, just to see where it ends at the Tennessee River. The four-lane section caught my eye, as there isn't a whole lot south of HSV. Was there once (or are there still) plans to extend this over the river as a divided four-lane highway? It would provide a southern alternate to I-65 and Memorial, but in reality it wouldn't connect to anything sizable, unless it went all the way to Cullman.

Edit: My spelling and grammar need work. Can't blame the phone on this one.

Quote from: formulanone on July 08, 2014, 10:29:44 AM
Two weeks ago, I drove down Wall Triana south of the airport, just to see where it ends at the Tennessee River. The four-lane section caught my eye, as there isn't a whole lot south of HSV. Was there one (or are there still) plans to extend this over the river as a divided four-lane highway? It would provide an southern alternate to I-65 and Memorial, but in reality it wouldn't connect to anything sizable, unless it went all the way to Cullman.

I have wondered that myself. I think the road was built originally to serve the Jetplex, but it goes a bit farther south than that, obviously. It would really open up that area if a bridge was built. I would think it would connect with I-65 around AL 36 or AL 67 if such a road was built.

Got some photos of the last incandescent traffic lights in Huntsville today. The rest of the incandescent signals in Huntsville are beacons. These signals were missed during the LED upgrade of 2010-2011. For not having been changed in a couple of years, all of the bulbs still work!
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14420091337_4b3122910b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nYfJLr)
Incandescent McCain Traffic Lights (https://flic.kr/p/nYfJLr) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5531/14419886008_a3e040f258.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nYeFJh)
Incandescent McCain Traffic Lights (https://flic.kr/p/nYeFJh) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5475/14626542433_4c0a5bb015.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ohuRu6)
Incandescent McCain Traffic Lights (https://flic.kr/p/ohuRu6) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3910/14419851780_009256e630.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nYevy9)
Incandescent McCain Traffic Lights (https://flic.kr/p/nYevy9) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2900/14583482456_7c4bf6626a.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/odGafG)
Incandescent McCain Traffic Lights (https://flic.kr/p/odGafG) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2897/14419851550_13ac0da710.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nYevub)
Incandescent McCain Traffic Lights (https://flic.kr/p/nYevub) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

Quote from: codyg1985 on July 08, 2014, 10:37:29 AM

Quote from: formulanone on July 08, 2014, 10:29:44 AM
Two weeks ago, I drove down Wall Triana south of the airport, just to see where it ends at the Tennessee River. The four-lane section caught my eye, as there isn't a whole lot south of HSV. Was there one (or are there still) plans to extend this over the river as a divided four-lane highway? It would provide an southern alternate to I-65 and Memorial, but in reality it wouldn't connect to anything sizable, unless it went all the way to Cullman.

I have wondered that myself. I think the road was built originally to serve the Jetplex, but it goes a bit farther south than that, obviously. It would really open up that area if a bridge was built. I would think it would connect with I-65 around AL 36 or AL 67 if such a road was built.

I personally think that it would be a good idea, but I'm not sure how much usage it would get. It might spur some growth for that area of Huntsville and Triana, though.

Are those signals technically under the jurisdiction of Madison County? That may explain why they haven't been converted to LEDs yet. There's another signal at Winchester Road and Bell Factory Road that also hasn't been upgraded to LEDs that I think was installed around the same time as this signal at Indian Creek Rd and Blake Bottom Rd. The street name signage on the mast arm is also the same.

EDIT: According to this may from the City of Huntsville (http://www.huntsvilleal.gov/gis/gis_maps/pdfs/city_limits.pdf), the intersection sits just outside the city limits.

I bet the cheif of the Huntsville PD is pulling his hair out with all of the annexation all over North Alabama.  Almost all of north cetral Alabama is now in the Huntsville city limits.

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on July 11, 2014, 03:19:36 PM
I bet the cheif of the Huntsville PD is pulling his hair out with all of the annexation all over North Alabama.  Almost all of north cetral Alabama is now in the Huntsville city limits.

A new police and fire station was opened recently in the Limestone County-annexed portion of Huntsville along Greenbrier Road. I don't think it is a full precinct, but that is needed for all the land Huntsville has annexed out there, especially as the population continues to grow.

Huntsville's putting up a new traffic light along Oakwood Avenue near the HEMSI building.
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2934/14662254076_d4b3b487fb.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/okDTj5)
New Traffic Signal Cantilever (https://flic.kr/p/okDTj5) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people//), on Flickr

Also, the ICCs at the Five Points intersection have been replaced with 3 McCains and a Peek. The ICCs replaced some of the 3Ms that Huntsville got back in the 90s.

Quote from: codyg1985 on July 08, 2014, 10:37:29 AM

Quote from: formulanone on July 08, 2014, 10:29:44 AM
Two weeks ago, I drove down Wall Triana south of the airport, just to see where it ends at the Tennessee River. The four-lane section caught my eye, as there isn't a whole lot south of HSV. Was there one (or are there still) plans to extend this over the river as a divided four-lane highway? It would provide an southern alternate to I-65 and Memorial, but in reality it wouldn't connect to anything sizable, unless it went all the way to Cullman.

I have wondered that myself. I think the road was built originally to serve the Jetplex, but it goes a bit farther south than that, obviously. It would really open up that area if a bridge was built. I would think it would connect with I-65 around AL 36 or AL 67 if such a road was built.

There was talk some years ago about such a bridge (the developers would love it), but it would cross the Wheeler Refuge on the south side of the Tennessee River. The Refuge has not been accommodating to easement requests in recent years. The city of HSV wanted to build a port, and the Refuge told them to take a hike.

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/36242-huntsvilles-tennessee-river-port/

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/hsv.general/4r6FV1WzLcU

IMO, it would really be a bridge to nowhere.

In other trivia, my understanding is that the I-65 Tennessee River bridges were built with extra long elevated sections at the request of the Wheeler Refuge to allow maximum flow-through during flood seasons. (Can't find any supporting links.) If they wanted the same for a new bridge at Triana, it would really run up the cost.

David

I think such a road would only benefit people travelling to Huntsville from Hartselle south, and unless completed it would be a road to nowhere.

Now if you think REALLY big picture and build an entirely new road continuing connecting Huntsville with Columbus, MS. From where from where the road intersects I-65, the road could keep going to intersect US 278 near Addison, AL, duplex with US 278 to east of Double Springs, and then continue southwest to intersect with I-22 and AL 13 near Eldridge. From there, continue south, maybe south-southwest to Fayette, and then use AL 96 the rest of the way to Columbus. Maybe this entire extension could be AL 96, or maybe give it a north-south number since it is really more of a north-south than east-west route. I know this is fictional territory, but it would provide better regional connectivity in the western part of the state.

Huntsville recently replaced the doghouse signal for eastbound people on Byrd Springs Road at the intersection of Byrd Springs Road and Memorial Parkway with two left turn signals. I'm not sure why they did that because other intersections have two left turn lanes and one doghouse works fine with those.
Also, Huntsville's been restriping the roads lately.

In one of the other threads, there is a link to an ALDOT briefing on the installation of SCATS on US 280 in Bham.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Coordinated_Adaptive_Traffic_System (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Coordinated_Adaptive_Traffic_System)

The briefing mentions plans to install the system in Huntsville, but I can't find any other reference of a plan to install it here. (Great briefing, BTW.)

www.itsga.org/assets/3-aldot---us-280.pdf (http://www.itsga.org/assets/3-aldot---us-280.pdf)

Just wondering if anybody has heard anything. If not, I might e-mail HSV traffic engineering.

Thank you,
David

A SCATS system has supposedly already been installed along Governors Drive from 14th Street east to California Street, but I don't know if it is fully operational. I heard there was problems with it at some point.

Governors Drive has a SCATS system?
Maybe that's why the lights at Gallatin and Whitesburg take so long to change...

BTW, the FYA upgrade will start in October. That's when the next fiscal year starts and Huntsville said that's when they'd begin the upgrade.

Red arrows were installed at the intersections on Exit 15 on I-565 recently.

http://whnt.com/2014/08/29/video-car-fire-blocks-traffic-on-moores-mill-road/

QuoteHUNTSVILLE, Ala. — An accident that resulted in a car bursting into flames blocked traffic on Moores Mill Road northbound Friday evening.

Huntsville Police shut down northbound traffic on Moores Mill Rd from Hwy 72 to Vintage Dr.

There is no word yet on any injuries.

Huntsville will be installing their second FYA signal in one week if the weather cooperates.
http://www.huntsvilleal.gov/engineering/NewsReleases/HuntingTrail-OldMonrovia.pdf

Huntsville was able to install the new FYA signals on Tuesday. I'll be going out and getting pictures of them along with a few other things this Saturday if possible.

Here are some photos of the new FYA signals at Hunting Trail and Old Monrovia:
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3888/15229587975_83bb9a52a3.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pcMBV2)New FYA Signals (https://flic.kr/p/pcMBV2) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/15042899660_fa38c70918.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVhMYY)New FYA Signal (https://flic.kr/p/oVhMYY) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5560/15226493201_71d032db03.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pcvKWR)New FYA Signal (https://flic.kr/p/pcvKWR) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5586/15043006648_0509d5a9df.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVikMA)New FYA Signal (https://flic.kr/p/oVikMA) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5553/15229587715_3a2a4b1938.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pcMBQx)New FYA Signal (https://flic.kr/p/pcMBQx) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3912/15042815559_3baf5c5573.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVhmYX)New FYA Signal (https://flic.kr/p/oVhmYX) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3887/15042815509_0b837d350b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVhmY6)New FYA Signal (https://flic.kr/p/oVhmY6) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/15229587645_ac744b66b6.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pcMBPk)New FYA Signal (https://flic.kr/p/pcMBPk) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5555/15043010377_e47b612760.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVimTT)New FYA Signal (https://flic.kr/p/oVimTT) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

The signals at the new Church Street and Oakwood Avenue intersection have been mostly installed. All that's missing is the signals for Church Street. Also, there's a doghouse here, which was somewhat surprising, but I bet it will have disappeared by the time these signals are activated.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3904/15042815199_bf8e523f8b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVhmSK)New McCain Traffic Lights at a New Intersection (https://flic.kr/p/oVhmSK) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3854/15229587265_598aceb90b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pcMBGM)New McCain Traffic Lights at a New Intersection (https://flic.kr/p/pcMBGM) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5568/15043009947_be16474d93.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVimLt)New McCain Traffic Lights at a New Intersection (https://flic.kr/p/oVimLt) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5571/15042815129_05c2ef4b76.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVhmRx)New McCain Traffic Lights at a New Intersection (https://flic.kr/p/oVhmRx) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Also, the left turn signals at the intersection of Memorial Parkway, Bob Wade Lane, and Countless Road have red arrows now.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5567/15043005868_cedbc859c8.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oViky9)Siemens Traffic Lights (https://flic.kr/p/oViky9) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5593/15043009777_aaa7a7bc96.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVimHx)Siemens Traffic Lights (https://flic.kr/p/oVimHx) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3885/15042898670_a8ac310f85.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/oVhMFU)Siemens Traffic Light (https://flic.kr/p/oVhMFU) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

To my knowledge, the first red arrows have appeared in SE Huntsville. The left turn signals at California Street and Governors Drive were upgraded to have red arrows instead of red balls today.

Also, I don't have any pictures of this, but the signals facing the I-565 ramps at the intersection of Oakwood Avenue and Lee High Drive have been changed.
The McCain three-section signal was removed and the Winkomatic doghouse was moved where the McCain was. A Siemens three section signal was installed where the Winkomatic doghouse originally was.
Here's the old set-up for reference: http://goo.gl/maps/LSu7C

Red arrows have been installed at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and Governors Drive (Facebook e-mail notifications let me know that codyg1985 posted about them on Facebook).

BTW, does anyone have a current list of all of the intersections with red arrows?

There are now red arrows in the left turn signals at Jordan Lane and I-565.

The turn signals on Governors Drive at the intersections of Whitesburg Drive and Gallatin Street now have red arrows.

There are now red arrows in the turn signals at the intersection of US 431 and Sutton Road in Hampton Cove.
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2949/15449984356_d3e0cd8730.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pxgd5C)
McCain Traffic Light (https://flic.kr/p/pxgd5C) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Two more intersections have red arrows at them now:
Memorial Parkway and Weatherly Road has had the double-doghouse set-up at it replaced with a three section right turn signal and an upside-down T signal. The right turn signal has a red arrow. The left turn signals still have red balls.
The intersection of Old US 431 and it's service road in Hampton Cove has had the doghouse signals replaced with protected only left turn signals with red arrows.

Quote from: freebrickproductions on October 09, 2014, 09:27:12 PM
The intersection of Old US 431 and it's service road in Hampton Cove has had the doghouse signals replaced with protected only left turn signals with red arrows.

I think this may have happened due to a report on WHNT, although the protected only setup wasn't a suggestion that was made. http://whnt.com/2014/05/20/hampton-cove-intersection-in-huntsville-needs-a-speed-change/

Part of Cecil Ashburn will be closed for repairs tomorrow.
http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2014/10/part_of_busy_cecil_ashburn_dri.html#incart_river

There are some new "No Parking Anytime" signs at the ends of Treeline Drive and Hiwan Trail. I'm betting neighbors complained about Grissom students parking there, but I saw one of them this morning parked a little bit up the street from the dead end on Treeline, so I wouldn't be surprised if more get erected soon. I'll post the pictures I got yesterday soon.

Here are my photos of the new signs:
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7508/15535554378_053326e9e6.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pEPM4Q)
New No Parking Signs (https://flic.kr/p/pEPM4Q) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/15535101939_885ee7f4cd.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pEMsza)
New No Parking Signs (https://flic.kr/p/pEMsza) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7580/15697254116_8c008a78eb.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pV7wLm)
New No Parking Signs (https://flic.kr/p/pV7wLm) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7576/15722528592_fd59a0de2d.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pXm4Zb)
New No Parking Signs (https://flic.kr/p/pXm4Zb) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7526/15719069441_f817e6be07.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pX3kGD)
New No Parking Signs (https://flic.kr/p/pX3kGD) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7564/15535554408_90c9776709.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/pEPM5m)
New No Parking Signs (https://flic.kr/p/pEPM5m) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3950/15101598413_2d00696450.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/p1tD5r)
New No Parking Signs (https://flic.kr/p/p1tD5r) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

I e-mailed Huntsville asking about information on the FYA signals. I'll report back what they tell me.
Also, both the intersections of California Street and Longwood Drive and Bailey Cove Road and 4 Mile Post Road now have red arrows at them. This means that Huntsville has started upgrading non-state-maintained routes.

Here's the response I received from the City of Huntsville:

Quote
I will start off by addressing each question (below):



1.       There are no immediate plans to upgrade any existing signalized intersections that currently use the 5-section "doghouse"  to Flashing Yellow Arrow operation.  The last signalized intersection to be upgraded in this manner was at Old Monrovia Road and Hunting Trail, on 9/2/14.  That is not to say that the City of Huntsville will not continue to do so in the future — it is simply that there are no immediate plans for upgrades, nor is there a schedule.

2.       The 5-section head for this currently-inactive signal, at the new Church Street alignment and Oakwood Avenue, is going to be replaced by a Flashing Yellow Arrow assembly before the end of next week.  When this new signal is ready for activation (unknown date), the west-to-south left turns will be controlled with a Flashing Yellow Arrow.

3.       There is no date set for upgrades of existing signals; however, all new signalized intersections with protective-permissive phasing, that are on City of Huntsville roadways, will use the Flashing Yellow Arrow assembly instead of the 5-section "doghouse" .  We are currently waiting on ALDOT to determine if they are willing to go with the Flashing Yellow Arrow assembly for signals on their routes.



Hopefully, I've been able to answer your questions.  Thank you once again for your email.  Please contact me if there are any questions.

Who was the CoH engineer that responded?

Drove by the new alignment of Church Street yesterday and saw that it was striped. I'll see about getting some pictures of it soon.

A few things to mention here:

• The FYA on Oakwood Avenue is in flash mode, but not active yet.
• The new Holmes Avenue bridge was open as of Monday Morning according to a friend of mine.
• New FYA signals have gone up in downtown at the intersection of Clinton Avenue and Greene Street.

Got a couple of pictures of Memorial Parkway northbound today. Quite a difference in traffic when compared to Thursday:
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8619/16488176359_bb92d4e921.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/r81doK)US 231/AL 53 Northbound (https://flic.kr/p/r81doK) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8611/16648371926_141e0641fe.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/rnafXh)US 231/AL 53 Northbound (https://flic.kr/p/rnafXh) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Also got a photo of one of the Drake Avenue BGSes. The one I photographed has some green-out covering an arrow:
(https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8602/16672956561_66240b0e47.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/rpkg7i)Drake Avenue (https://flic.kr/p/rpkg7i) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

With Senator Holtzclaw's district's road project funding being moved elsewhere by ALDOT, is there even a completion date for the new County Line Road interchange on I-565 anymore?

Since that project is under construction, money won't be pulled from that project. It should be done this summer.

I just got back from spending a few days in Huntsville visiting my fiancee's kinfolk.  A few observations I made about Huntsville while driving around there:

1. Where the hell did all of those people come from?!?!?!?  :wow: For a little while, I thought I was driving around metro Atlanta or DFW. (which leads to the next observation...)

2.  Two more lanes for I-565??  Make Memorial Dr. a full-fledged freeway by filling in the gaps??  YES PLEASE!!!  :nod:

3.  Huntsville is the only place I have ever seen 2 divided highways running side-by-side, divided by a cyclone fence.

4.  Apparently, I-565 used to be signed north-south due to the EAST/WEST overlays next to the shields on the overheads.

5.  I really enjoyed seeing the night lights of Huntsville coming down both mountains (US 231 & 431).

6.  I laughed so hard when I saw this arrow signs for the 1st time ever:  https://www.google.com/maps/@34.704115,-86.587587,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sYwV1sK9J3DFaX7u0dg3bxQ!2e0 (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.704115,-86.587587,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sYwV1sK9J3DFaX7u0dg3bxQ!2e0)  I couldn't tell if one arrow was humping another or the arrow had a very sad disposition in life.  :-D

7.  The Space & Rocket Center was fun & educational, but bring lots of $$$...It cost me $55 for the 3 of us to get in, $20 for the souvenir picture at the end, $30 to feed us lunch, and $20 for super pixie stix.

8.  That Alexander Shunnarah fella sure loves putting his ugly mug on billboards all over Alabama: http://www.shunnarah.com/ (http://www.shunnarah.com/)   :-/

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
I just got back from spending a few days in Huntsville visiting my fiancee's kinfolk.  A few observations I made about Huntsville while driving around there:

1. Where the hell did all of those people come from?!?!?!?  :wow: For a little while, I thought I was driving around metro Atlanta or DFW. (which leads to the next observation...)

The area has grown tremendously over the past decade, thankfully in part due to BRAC. There are a lot of road improvements needed in the area, but funding has always been an issue. There has been a 1 cent sales tax increase to cover some needed capacity projects to raise $125 million over five years, which will match the state's contribution of the same amount. However, I worry that the state DOT will not be able to match their portion.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
2.  Two more lanes for I-565??  Make Memorial Dr. a full-fledged freeway by filling in the gaps??  YES PLEASE!!!  :nod:

They are badly needed west of Wail-Triana Hwy. There are plans to six lane west of there with the 1 cent sales tax, but it is beyond the five year window right now. There should be a project bid this year to fill in the gap between Martin Road and Whitesburg Drive. The design is also underway for extending the freeway north beyond Mastin Lake Road. The Winchester Road signal north of Mastin Lake REALLY needs to be converted to an interchange since it is a huge bottleneck (I would say worse than Mastin Lake).  I would also love to see the portion of the parkway upgraded to a full freeway similar to I-565 between University/US 72 West and Airport Road, but I don't ever see it happening.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
3.  Huntsville is the only place I have ever seen 2 divided highways running side-by-side, divided by a cyclone fence.

Ah, I-565 and Madison Blvd. Madison Blvd is the old alignment of Alt US 72/AL 20. Locals still call it "Highway 20." It was able to be built so close due to there being just Army land between Zierdt and the Space and Rocket Center. Between Research Park Blvd and Jordan/Governors, I-565 overlaid the old alignment of AL 20, and took out some really dangerous intersections and railroad crossings.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
4.  Apparently, I-565 used to be signed north-south due to the EAST/WEST overlays next to the shields on the overheads.

That is correct. I think the state DOT thought that since it ended in an odd number it should be signed north-south, but thankfully that was changed around soon after being opened.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
5.  I really enjoyed seeing the night lights of Huntsville coming down both mountains (US 231 & 431).

There are two other mountain crossings that IMO have better views. US 72 west before the beginning of I-565 west, and Cecil Ashburn Drive (an arterial that connects the southern Huntsville suburbs).

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
6.  I laughed so hard when I saw this arrow signs for the 1st time ever:  https://www.google.com/maps/@34.704115,-86.587587,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sYwV1sK9J3DFaX7u0dg3bxQ!2e0 (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.704115,-86.587587,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sYwV1sK9J3DFaX7u0dg3bxQ!2e0)  I couldn't tell if one arrow was humping another or the arrow had a very sad disposition in life.  :-D

Those are everywhere not only along Memorial Pkwy and Research Park Blvd north of University which is a freeway built as a slightly wider version of Memorial Parkway. I REALLY wished that ALDOT would install signs like what are in use along I-55 in Jackson, but that would require ALDOT to actually put up meaningful signage that is more than the bare minimum, which seems to be lacking in Huntsville: https://www.google.com/maps/@32.354574,-90.151612,3a,75y,16.64h,84.34t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sSXiFvhvH5qxaEhOdGoCMxA!2e0

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
7.  The Space & Rocket Center was fun & educational, but bring lots of $$$...It cost me $55 for the 3 of us to get in, $20 for the souvenir picture at the end, $30 to feed us lunch, and $20 for super pixie stix.

It is quite overpriced IMO, but I guess it is a bit justified since there is a lot of upkeep.

8.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
That Alexander Shunnarah fella sure loves putting his ugly mug on billboards all over Alabama: http://www.shunnarah.com/ (http://www.shunnarah.com/)   :-/

Charles Pitman is also a billboard you see everywhere. Those billboards get annoying.

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 02, 2015, 07:20:14 AM
8.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
That Alexander Shunnarah fella sure loves putting his ugly mug on billboards all over Alabama: http://www.shunnarah.com/ (http://www.shunnarah.com/)   :-/

Charles Pitman is also a billboard you see everywhere. Those billboards get annoying.

Shunnarah billboards are all over the I-10 corridor in Lower Alabama and NW FL as well. I would not have thought about it, but my son kept pointing out the billboards to me and then I couldn't stop noticing them.  :ded:

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 02, 2015, 07:20:14 AM

Charles Pitman is also a billboard you see everywhere. Those billboards get annoying.

I'm actually related to that guy. :ded: Though it's someone distant. I've always thought that his TV ads were annoying as well. At least I remember his phone number. :pan:

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
4.  Apparently, I-565 used to be signed north-south due to the EAST/WEST overlays next to the shields on the overheads.

You can actually still see part of the old cardinal directions on one of the BGSs on I-65 southbound:
http://www.instantstreetview.com/@34.63249,-86.902327,-150.72h,28.65p,4z

Quote from: Alex on April 02, 2015, 08:12:27 AM

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 02, 2015, 07:20:14 AM
8.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
That Alexander Shunnarah fella sure loves putting his ugly mug on billboards all over Alabama: http://www.shunnarah.com/ (http://www.shunnarah.com/)   :-/

Charles Pitman is also a billboard you see everywhere. Those billboards get annoying.

Shunnarah billboards are all over the I-10 corridor in Lower Alabama and NW FL as well. I would not have thought about it, but my son kept pointing out the billboards to me and then I couldn't stop noticing them.  :ded:

Is Pitman the one who has "In a wreck? Need a check?" on his billboards?  I saw a bunch of those as well.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 02, 2015, 11:10:28 AM

Quote from: Alex on April 02, 2015, 08:12:27 AM

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 02, 2015, 07:20:14 AM
8.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 01, 2015, 11:23:02 PM
That Alexander Shunnarah fella sure loves putting his ugly mug on billboards all over Alabama: http://www.shunnarah.com/ (http://www.shunnarah.com/)   :-/

Charles Pitman is also a billboard you see everywhere. Those billboards get annoying.

Shunnarah billboards are all over the I-10 corridor in Lower Alabama and NW FL as well. I would not have thought about it, but my son kept pointing out the billboards to me and then I couldn't stop noticing them.  :ded:

Is Pitman the one who has "In a wreck? Need a check?" on his billboards?  I saw a bunch of those as well.

Oh yeah. And he has a catchy commercial with the phone number. Kind of like the Goldberg lawyers that would run ads in the Birmingham area.

Quote from: Alex on April 02, 2015, 08:12:27 AM
Shunnarah billboards are all over the I-10 corridor in Lower Alabama and NW FL as well. I would not have thought about it, but my son kept pointing out the billboards to me and then I couldn't stop noticing them.  :ded:

I wonder if he keeps so many of them in part as backdoor campaign signs for if/when he tries to run for statewide office again. It definitely keeps his name recognition high.

I just remembered something else...I saw my first bubble shield live and in person while in Huntsville: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.734697,-86.597622,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sqHHvEhO7hFd4oVyc9eU7vA!2e0 (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.734697,-86.597622,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sqHHvEhO7hFd4oVyc9eU7vA!2e0)

Quote from: cjk374 on April 05, 2015, 09:28:45 AM
I just remembered something else...I saw my first bubble shield live and in person while in Huntsville: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.734697,-86.597622,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sqHHvEhO7hFd4oVyc9eU7vA!2e0 (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.734697,-86.597622,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sqHHvEhO7hFd4oVyc9eU7vA!2e0)

We've got several of them around the city, mostly on BGSes.
I only know of one stand-alone bubble shield in the city, though. (http://goo.gl/maps/UzZPu)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5564/14774330416_6c272bda46.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ovyiGL)I-565 (https://flic.kr/p/ovyiGL) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/people/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Don't forget these at AL 53/AL 255: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.791959,-86.667915,3a,15y,183.91h,87.61t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s2q-E5_Lx5wmIbTPv8gc_Rw!2e0

And this one on the other side of the intersection (with a bonus sign goof; not sure if it has been fixed): https://www.google.com/maps/@34.788863,-86.66536,3a,26.6y,354.66h,88.49t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRNZ9M9An3R1PbXAImEs0Hw!2e0

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 05, 2015, 06:31:33 PM
And this one on the other side of the intersection (with a bonus sign goof; not sure if it has been fixed):
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.788863,-86.66536,3a,26.6y,354.66h,88.49t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRNZ9M9An3R1PbXAImEs0Hw!2e0

I hope you're referring to that hideous US 72 sign...burn it with fire!!!  :ded:

Quote from: cjk374 on April 05, 2015, 10:26:37 PM

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 05, 2015, 06:31:33 PM
And this one on the other side of the intersection (with a bonus sign goof; not sure if it has been fixed):
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.788863,-86.66536,3a,26.6y,354.66h,88.49t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRNZ9M9An3R1PbXAImEs0Hw!2e0

I hope you're referring to that hideous US 72 sign...burn it with fire!!!  :ded:

Well there is that, but the TO and South banners should be swapped. Yeah, those style US shields have been installed a lot from some signage contractors.

You also have this weird S0uth banners installed along with those style US shields: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.791882,-86.666724,3a,30.1y,259.66h,87.71t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s4ap79ZbrVga4sHW6oHEPWg!2e0

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 05, 2015, 06:31:33 PM
Don't forget these at AL 53/AL 255: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.791959,-86.667915,3a,15y,183.91h,87.61t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s2q-E5_Lx5wmIbTPv8gc_Rw!2e0

And this one on the other side of the intersection (with a bonus sign goof; not sure if it has been fixed): https://www.google.com/maps/@34.788863,-86.66536,3a,26.6y,354.66h,88.49t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRNZ9M9An3R1PbXAImEs0Hw!2e0

I didn't know that those existed, actually. That makes three stand-along bubble shields in the city.

Quote from: cjk374 on April 05, 2015, 10:26:37 PM

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 05, 2015, 06:31:33 PM
And this one on the other side of the intersection (with a bonus sign goof; not sure if it has been fixed):
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.788863,-86.66536,3a,26.6y,354.66h,88.49t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRNZ9M9An3R1PbXAImEs0Hw!2e0

I hope you're referring to that hideous US 72 sign...burn it with fire!!!  :ded:

Would you cry if I told you that another one of those exists at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and University Drive?

Quote from: freebrickproductions on April 06, 2015, 11:05:07 AM

Quote from: cjk374 on April 05, 2015, 10:26:37 PM

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 05, 2015, 06:31:33 PM
And this one on the other side of the intersection (with a bonus sign goof; not sure if it has been fixed):
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.788863,-86.66536,3a,26.6y,354.66h,88.49t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRNZ9M9An3R1PbXAImEs0Hw!2e0

I hope you're referring to that hideous US 72 sign...burn it with fire!!!  :ded:

Would you cry if I told you that another one of those exists at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and University Drive?

Nope...just tells me I need more napalm for my flame thrower!   :bigass:

Quote from: cjk374 on April 06, 2015, 10:18:25 PM

Quote from: freebrickproductions on April 06, 2015, 11:05:07 AM

Quote from: cjk374 on April 05, 2015, 10:26:37 PM

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 05, 2015, 06:31:33 PM
And this one on the other side of the intersection (with a bonus sign goof; not sure if it has been fixed):
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.788863,-86.66536,3a,26.6y,354.66h,88.49t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sRNZ9M9An3R1PbXAImEs0Hw!2e0

I hope you're referring to that hideous US 72 sign...burn it with fire!!!  :ded:

Would you cry if I told you that another one of those exists at the intersection of Memorial Parkway and University Drive?

Nope...just tells me I need more napalm for my flame thrower!   :bigass:

:-D I'll have to drive Huntsville one day and let you know where all of these ugly US 72 shields are. I believe that they are compressed 3dus sheilds.

The old Madison Pike bridge project is nearing the end.

http://whnt.com/2015/04/07/old-madison-pike-bridge-project-nearing-the-home-stretch/

Quote
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flocaltvwhnt.files.wordpress.com%2F2015%2F04%2Fold-madison-pike-construction.jpeg%3Fw%3D770&hash=e375599b78d3c8bd696d8f7c16e41fbc1dfd7ee3)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — When construction started on the Old Madison Pike bridge in 2013 we were told it would take about two years to complete.

Which, for drivers taking the daily detours, can feel like eternity. Viewers have reached out to WHNT News 19 asking what's the deal with the project.

We reached out to ALDOT Regional Engineer Johnny Harris.

"[We're] probably 90% complete, we're just waiting for the bridge to be finished so we can start the final paving operations,"  said Harris.

Early on in the project there were delays getting started. Then, this Winter, weather slowed down progress.

The good news is, Harris says contractors are back on track.

"It's usually hard to predict exactly when the project will be completed, so we go by the contract amount of time, and the established completion date based on that. If the contractor is able to finish early it's all the better for everyone,"  Harris explained.

Old Madison Pike is scheduled to be re-opened November 1st, 2015. But Harris and city officials are hopeful they'll be ready to open before then.

New Huntsville road serving Polaris ATV plant will be under construction soon (http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/04/new_huntsville_road_serving_po.html#incart_river)

QuoteThe City of Huntsville is working to acquire land in rural Limestone County for a new section of Greenbrier Parkway serving Polaris' $142 million all-terrain vehicle factory.

A resolution approved by the City Council last week says the next phase of Greenbrier Parkway, from the Target Distribution Center north to Old Highway 20, will "contribute to the health and general welfare of the citizens of Huntsville."

The city is speeding up the road's construction because of Polaris, which announced plans in January to build a massive ATV plant along Interstate 565 just west of Greenbrier Road. Polaris has promised to create a minimum of 1,700 new manufacturing jobs.

City Engineer Kathy Martin said four road companies have expressed interested in building the new section of Greenbrier Parkway; sealed bids will be opened next week.

QuoteMartin said Greenbrier Parkway will be five lanes from Target Distribution Center north to the railroad tracks, flaring out to a four-lane boulevard with a wide, grassy median from the tracks to Old Highway 20.

It will eventually be extended to Brownsferry Road near Interstate 65, opening thousands of acres of rolling, Huntsville-annexed Limestone County farmland to new development sprawl.

I was hoping that Greenbrier Parkway would have been more of an expressway (which I think was proposed at one time), but I guess that isn't going to happen. I think it is sort of following the route of the now dead Memphis-Huntsville-Atlanta freeway.

According to a friend of mine, there's a new signal going up at Pulaski Pike and Mastin Lake Road. The new signals are on black mast-arms and they have doghouses for some reason (I'll contact HDOT about that later tonight, but I'm willing to bet that those will disappear before the signals go into service).

Also, more FYAs have gone up at the following intersections:

• Drake Avenue and Patton Road (the most recent install)
• Green Street and Eustis Avenue (3-section FYAs)
• Holmes Avenue and Jefferson Street (3-section FYAs, right-turn FYAs)
• Moores Mill Road and Ware Drive

Looks like I will be in Huntsville this weekend.  Anything interesting to see besides the new interchange at I-565 and County Line Road?

Quote from: jdb1234 on May 04, 2015, 11:13:27 AM
Looks like I will be in Huntsville this weekend.  Anything interesting to see besides the new interchange at I-565 and County Line Road?

Aside from some of the FYA installations across the city, not really. Have you been up here since the overpasses on Research Park Blvd and Memorial Parkway have been finished? There are quite a few construction projects underway, but those aren't really interesting yet.

If you can get onto the arsenal, there is Martin Road that has been widened from Rideout west to Zierdt/Gate 7.

There's also a bridge problem on 431 south of Huntsville you might want to avoid:
http://whnt.com/2015/05/01/highway-431-northbound-to-be-partially-closed-for-weeks-after-wreck/

Quote from: codyg1985 on May 04, 2015, 11:28:34 AM

Quote from: jdb1234 on May 04, 2015, 11:13:27 AM
Looks like I will be in Huntsville this weekend.  Anything interesting to see besides the new interchange at I-565 and County Line Road?

Aside from some of the FYA installations across the city, not really. Have you been up here since the overpasses on Research Park Blvd and Memorial Parkway have been finished? There are quite a few construction projects underway, but those aren't really interesting yet.

If you are referring to the ones at Whitesburg Drive in south Huntsville and at Max Luther Drive and Sparkman Drive then yes.  I have never been on AL 255 north of US 72 so that might be worth seeing if time permits.

Turns out the new signals at Mastin Lake Road and Pulaski Pike was just Huntsville installing a new mast-arm further back from the intersection than the old one. The new signals are already active according to a friend of mine. None of the other signals at the intersection have been replaced.
It kinda explains the doghouse on the new set-up actually...

I also plan on checking downtown for more FYAs this afternoon.

Two more FYAs went up recently in downtown, both right-turn signals this time. One of them is at the intersection of Northside Square and Jefferson Street while the other is at Southside Square and Madison Street.
Also, Huntsville seems to be transitioning to mixed-case street signs. They are trying them out at the very least (since all three set-ups with them have been in three different styles for how the text is laid out on them).

Huntsville will be installing a ton of FYA signals along Governors Drive starting next week:
http://whnt.com/2015/05/18/aldot-city-of-huntsville-to-add-flashing-yellow-arrows-along-governors-drive/

Also, the FYA on Oakwood Avenue will be activated this Wednesday at about 9 AM from what I've heard from Huntsville.

Old Madison Pike is expected to be open again on Friday, one month ahead of schedule.
http://whnt.com/2015/09/22/old-madison-pike-will-reopen-on-friday/

Quote
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flocaltvwhnt.files.wordpress.com%2F2015%2F09%2Fold-madison-pike-construction2.jpeg%3Fw%3D770&hash=034c8d8581b10bb93c5d0e4f8098423353377afd)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Old Madison Pike will reopen to traffic on Friday afternoon, one month ahead of schedule.

There will be a ribbon cutting re-opening the road near Cummings Research Park at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, after a walking event for Mayor Battle's 100-Mile Walking Challenge. The walk will happen at 11:30 a.m..

The $5.2 million City of Huntsville project includes a four-lane expansion, new bridge, sidewalks, wider lanes to accommodate bicycles and a new greenway parking area.

Construction began in November 2013, and was expected to take until November 2015, so it's actually finished ahead of schedule.

ALDOT says winter weather slowed down the progress early on in the project.

Old Madison Pike opened on Friday, one month ahead of schedule.

This article actually has a pretty neat before/after image in it:
http://whnt.com/2015/09/22/old-madison-pike-will-reopen-on-friday/

Quote
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) - Old Madison Pike reopened to traffic on Friday afternoon, one month ahead of schedule.

There was a ribbon cutting re-opening the road near Cummings Research Park at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, after a walking event for Mayor Battle's 100-Mile Walking Challenge.

The $5.2 million City of Huntsville project includes a four-lane expansion, new bridge, sidewalks, wider lanes to accommodate bicycles and a new greenway parking area.

Construction began in November 2013, and was expected to take until November 2015, so it's actually finished ahead of schedule.

ALDOT says winter weather slowed down the progress early on in the project.

http://whnt.com/2015/09/25/some-liken-old-madison-pikes-reopening-to-a-religious-experience/

Quote
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - A four-lane expansion, new bridge, sidewalks, and wider lanes: Who wouldn't be singing praises?

Hallelujah! Closed since November 2013, Old Madison Pike between Cummings Research Park and Slaughter Road is finally opened to the motoring, walking and cycling public.

In a week absolutely wrought with global holy significance, for folks right here deprived of the ability to travel Old Madison Pike for nearly two years, today was literally like a religious experience.

"It is a big day for both the city of Huntsville and city of Madison," said Johnny Harris, Director of the Alabama Department of Transportation.

"Hallelujah, amen!" said Madison Mayor Troy Trulock.

Of course everyone gave thanks in their own way:

"Hallelujah, brother. It's open," said some of the crew members.

"It's close to my house it's very good," said a member of the Chinese Christian Church.

The festivities started with the public joining Mayor Tommy Battle, city department heads, and reps from ALDOT for a Healthy Huntsville walk on the newly constructed section of roadway. But let's face it, this may as well have been a pilgrimage.

"Victory," said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

"I appreciate the Lord washing the asphalt off for us today," Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong said, referring to the rain.

"As you know our citizens are excited. They can get to and from their shopping, to and from work. It is just fantastic for everybody so I'm excited to be out here today to say Hallelujah, it's here," Madison Mayor Trulock said.

"Now do you think we're going to have people speaking in tongues and falling out here today?" WHNT News 19 asked.

"Probably, yes. They are so excited I think that's exactly what'll happen," Trulock said.

Now, not to marry church and state but this momentous occasion brings political implications of Biblical proportions as well.

"Oh yeah I want to say hallelujah and praise Jesus and praise the state and praise Mayor Battle for picking up my campaign slogan from 1988 and runnin' and jumpin' with this deal," said Huntsville's Jackie Reed.

"And Troy, I didn't tell you the real reason we did this bridge is so that Miss Reed could get to your council meetings quicker," Mayor Battle joked. "Miss Reed we want to tell you your work is finished with the city of Huntsville. You have accomplished everything. We are totally in line. We're going to send you to brighter greener pastures right down the road here."

One of the biggest blessings from all this? The project was actually completed a month ahead of schedule, believe it or not.

Wow, that looks like a really nice job by ALDOT. The old road looked rather nerve-wracking with those narrow travel lanes.

Quote from: Zeffy on September 29, 2015, 09:45:28 PM
Wow, that looks like a really nice job by ALDOT. The old road looked rather nerve-wracking with those narrow travel lanes.

It is much better than before. That road is also one of a handful that connect one of the largest employment areas in Huntsville with Madison, Huntsville's closest and largest suburb.

Surprised that no-ones posted about this here yet, but the right-hand lane for traffic heading towards Hampton Cove on Governors Drive (US 431) at the intersection with California Street has been converted into a right-turn only lane. I have to wonder if/when Huntsville's going to change the signal for it to a right-turn signal.

It also probably allows folks going northbound on California to have a merge after turning southbound on Governors.

South Memorial Parkway overpass work starts in December:

http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/11/south_memorial_parkway_overpas.html

It is gonna be a mess, but it will be well worth it, for the most part. I still worry about what eliminating the loop ramps at the Martin Road overpass and replacing them with a traffic signal is going to do with arsenal traffic.

I'll have to keep an eye on it, especially since it could affect some crossings along the Huntsville & Madison County Railroad.

Some of downtown Huntsville's one-way streets becoming two-way

http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/11/downtown_huntsvilles_one-way_s.html

QuoteHuntsville is beginning to experiment with turning some of its downtown one-way avenues back to two-way traffic. One of the busiest — Clinton Avenue — is poised to make the change over the next few weeks.

"It's time to change some of our philosophies for downtown," Mayor Tommy Battle said this week. "This is part of that strategy."

It's a big first step, but this needs noting up front: Two streets won't change. Jefferson and Washington streets, which feed traffic to and from downtown and Interstate 565, will stay one-way.

Downtown's one-way streets developed when the center city was a place you drove through, not to. One-way avenues like Clinton and Holmes smoothly moved east side residential traffic to and from Cummings Research Park, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and other western destinations.

But Battle wants "boots on the ground downtown," as he put it. His plan was to get people living downtown, then restaurants, then retail.

It's coming together now and picking up speed. New stores, apartments and mixed use developments are joining existing restaurants and shops, and more are coming in the next two years.

Making streets two-way is "recognizing that the more people moving into downtown, the more accessible you want it to be," city planner Dennis Madsen said this week. "One-way streets can be confusing. They were designed to move traffic quickly. (Two-way) does tend to slow people down, make it safer."

Drivers intuitively slow down when facing opposing traffic, Madsen said, and that also gives drivers a chance to see new new store windows and places to eat and drink.

The city will move slowly. West-bound traffic lights are up but covered on Clinton Avenue. If Clinton works smoothly, Madsen said Holmes Avenue will be next. After that, the city will consider turning Greene and Lincoln streets two-way. "It's going to take time," Madsen said. "We want to see how they're working first."

Madsen said planners call this "tactical urbanism" — incremental changes to make existing downtowns friendlier to pedestrians and bicyclists. "It's a misconception (today) that you can design a road for only one mode," he said.

Battle said the changes are "part of making a community." People don't want to live in big, anonymous places, he said. "You want to be part of a community you can identify with," he said, "friends you know, your next-door neighbor."

Battle also sees "downtown" extending beyond the core city near the Courthouse Square. "It's really a 3- to 5-mile area that's part of that community," he said, including the Medical District and adjoining neighborhoods to the south and the Meridian Street corridor to the north.

Orange barrel décor: South Parkway overpass work gets underway in Huntsville

http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/12/orange_barrel_decor_south_park.html

QuoteThe good news is that, in about 3½ years, it will all be over.

The bad news is those 3½ years.

Roadwork on the new overpasses on South Memorial Parkway was underway Monday with all the usual traits: Slow-moving traffic, orange barrels and reduced lanes to travel.

Overpasses will be built at Byrd Spring Road as well as Lily Flagg Road/Logan Drive along with a major upgrade to the Martin Road overpass. The price tag is expected to be about $54 million.

The project is scheduled to be completed by June 2019.

It's expected that the project will be completed quicker than the Weatherly Road overpass. The service roads and the overpasses took more than four years to complete.

Here are some photos of the construction along Memorial Parkway that I took yesterday:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5626/23519185910_c96fd8a28f.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/BQiYzm)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/BQiYzm) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5675/23788775016_1e6af90911.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Cf8G2o)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/Cf8G2o) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/671/23446921419_7f32243233.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/BHVARR)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/BHVARR) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5772/23706456542_b30bcceb42.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/C7RMBm)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/C7RMBm) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5801/23732421551_f2498e59ba.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Ca9S6V)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/Ca9S6V) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5793/23732421131_aace43dc1f.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Ca9RYF)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/Ca9RYF) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/729/23519185680_c4307d7f4b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/BQiYvo)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/BQiYvo) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5635/23706456682_a35fe6f506.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/C7RMDL)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/C7RMDL) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/737/23788774686_3e7ef36e5f.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Cf8FVG)Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 (https://flic.kr/p/Cf8FVG) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Memorial Parkway/Martin Road interchange ramp closed for two years
http://whnt.com/2016/01/01/memorial-parkway-martin-road-interchange-ramp-closed-for-two-years/

Quote
(https://localtvwhnt.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/screen-shot-2016-01-01-at-5-12-41-pm.png?w=770)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) —  Memorial Parkway commuters see more orange barrels and construction equipment at the Martin Road interchange. If you're headed back to work on the Arsenal in the coming days, pay close attention because these changes will impact you and likely cause delays.

The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) made a number of changes as part of the South Memorial Parkway improvements project.

Ramp from NB Memorial Parkway to Martin Road and part of EB Martin Road west of the Parkway have been closed

EB Martin Road traffic has been shifted to the inside WB lane

Detour for NB Parkway drivers trying to get to WB Martin is the service road U-turn loop at Golf Road

Ramp from EB Martin to NB Parkway will close in two weeks; at that time, contractors will open a temporary ramp allowing traffic from Martin to NB Memorial Parkway
So if you're headed north on the Parkway trying to get on the Arsenal, you have to pass where the Martin Road turn once was, continue north, turn around at the Golf Road loop, heading south on Parkway access road, and get on Martin Road westbound that way.

Drivers are encouraged to pay extra attention to the signs and barricades in the area to stay abreast of the best way to your destination.

Closures will remain in place until December 2017 when the first phase of the project is complete. That first phase will see service roads between Golf Road and Whitesburg Drive and improve the bridge and interchange at Martin Road.

The second phase will bring overpasses at Byrd Spring Road and Lily Flagg, that is set to be complete in June 2019.

Just out of curiosity, how many traffic signals here in Huntsville have the street signs mounted on the sides of the poles rather than on the overhead arms/span wires?
I know about these ones already:
Marshuetz Avenue, Whitesburg Drive, and Franklin Street
Whitesburg Drive and California Street
Church Street and Pratt Avenue
Clinton Avenue and Governors Drive (though these are actually mounted on the street lamps rather than the mast-arm itself)

Does anyone know of any others?

What is the status of the U.S. 72 construction at Moores Mill and Shields Roads east of the I-565 end? The last news article I could find on it indicated that work would wrap up this month.

It is almost done. The left most lane of the triple left from EB US 72 to NB Moores Mill Road is not open yet, but everything else is done except for final striping.

The Davis Circle extension is now open, so now you can go directly from the traffic circle next to the library in downtown to Pelham Avenue:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1537/26469341305_d48b87301b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Gk1hZx)Davis Circle Extension (https://flic.kr/p/Gk1hZx) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1602/26403193251_9a803eb1c6.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GeagtR)Davis Circle Extension (https://flic.kr/p/GeagtR) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1456/26377025962_df8d3ab842.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GbR9RG)Davis Circle Extension (https://flic.kr/p/GbR9RG) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1675/26443413776_1dff751b36.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GhHpDb)Davis Circle Extension (https://flic.kr/p/GhHpDb) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Also, here's an update on the Martin Road overpass construction along Memorial Parkway, as well as other photos of the road work along the Parkway:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1501/26377030632_5914517f34.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GbRbfd)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GbRbfd) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1697/25866503513_98268d6e69.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FpJAjv)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/FpJAjv) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1441/25866503463_760b039be8.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FpJAiD)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/FpJAiD) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1581/26196473390_e313d05e91.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FUTLSj)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/FUTLSj) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1466/26377030392_99d5f1b5ce.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GbRbb5)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GbRbb5) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1547/26403196831_00938e9206.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Geahxz)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/Geahxz) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1646/26403197541_2ff7ba442c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GeahKP)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GeahKP) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1517/26469345665_5955d658cd.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Gk1jhH)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/Gk1jhH) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1651/26469345605_7cd22204ff.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Gk1jgF)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/Gk1jgF) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1443/26377030202_3b9cf83f52.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GbRb7N)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GbRb7N) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1580/26443418196_71d8cb0c6b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GhHqXo)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GhHqXo) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1494/26443418106_75c901aacb.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GhHqVQ)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GhHqVQ) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1626/26403197101_0534fbae76.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GeahCe)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GeahCe) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1651/25866502783_37d401445d.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FpJA6V)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/FpJA6V) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1554/26403196741_3366649550.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Geahw2)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/Geahw2) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1709/26443417466_c5c9d359a9.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GhHqJN)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GhHqJN) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1515/25864460854_5155b899ee.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Fpy87f)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/Fpy87f) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1556/26443417306_0a91106b07.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GhHqG3)Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 (https://flic.kr/p/GhHqG3) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Also, for those of you who are curious, the triple left turn lanes on US 72 east of I-565 are all open now:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1531/26403398771_8ab3460504.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Gebjzi)Triple Left Turn (https://flic.kr/p/Gebjzi) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Damn, those Redstone Arsenal BGS's got hit with the ugly stick!  :no:
(https://flic.kr/p/GhHqG3)

Quote from: Tom958 on April 17, 2016, 03:13:03 PM
Damn, those Redstone Arsenal BGS's got hit with the ugly stick!  :no:
(https://flic.kr/p/GhHqG3)

ALDOT sometimes makes the first letter much larger than the rest of the letters. Mostly on Clearview, but I have also seen it on FHWA as well.

Huntsville is beginning to post these signs along the bike routes, replacing the "Bikes Share the Road" signs that used to be mounted on the poles:
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1673/26292924520_97ab291b01.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/G4q7qQ)New Signage (https://flic.kr/p/G4q7qQ) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1715/25962917973_5e0a1c6a78.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/FyfJYM)New Signage (https://flic.kr/p/FyfJYM) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1548/26539801796_515112e5d7.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/GreqrA)New Signage (https://flic.kr/p/GreqrA) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

Also, the first part of Dr. Joseph Lowery Boulevard (from Governors Drive to Pelham Avenue) will open tomorrow at 10 AM with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Headed to Huntsville tomorrow.  Other than the Memorial Parkway widening, anything else interesting worth checking out?

Quote from: jdb1234 on May 12, 2016, 05:20:17 PM
Headed to Huntsville tomorrow.  Other than the Memorial Parkway widening, anything else interesting worth checking out?

The Zierdt Road widening is kind of interesting, some done, some started, some untouched.  :cool:

David

The project to revamp US 72 from Maysville Road to Shields Road is complete, so that may be worth checking out.

There was also a new road, named Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, that had the first half built recently. It comes off of US 431 (Governors Drive). Also, there's some button copy on the western end of Governors Drive still, last I checked.

Quote from: codyg1985 on May 13, 2016, 08:10:58 AM
The project to revamp US 72 from Maysville Road to Shields Road is complete, so that may be worth checking out.

Have the plan to extend I-565 to Shields Rd been scrapped or on the back burner?

Yep, due to lack of money. What bothers me is that a Mapco has recently been built off of US 72 just past Moores Mill Road. That will surely encroach on where frontage road was going to be.

What is there now is a band-aid solution. I am not sure yet how much better it moves traffic. In the mornings it certainly helps, but the evenings I am not so sure yet.

If push comes to shove, there is barely enough room for an overpass on Moores Mill Rd, provided that the bridge be 100 feet or so west of the current street. Of course, the interchange would be sub-interstate quality.

Quote from: capt.ron on May 17, 2016, 12:20:41 PM
If push comes to shove, there is barely enough room for an overpass on Moores Mill Rd, provided that the bridge be 100 feet or so west of the current street. Of course, the interchange would be sub-interstate quality.

The interchange proposals back from late 2000's and early 2010's indicated an interchange that could possibly pass as interstate grade. They could probably achieve it still, but it would be tighter and still require lots of ROW.

Quote from: codyg1985 on May 17, 2016, 07:34:18 PM

Quote from: capt.ron on May 17, 2016, 12:20:41 PM
If push comes to shove, there is barely enough room for an overpass on Moores Mill Rd, provided that the bridge be 100 feet or so west of the current street. Of course, the interchange would be sub-interstate quality.

The interchange proposals back from late 2000's and early 2010's indicated an interchange that could possibly pass as interstate grade. They could probably achieve it still, but it would be tighter and still require lots of ROW.

What about something like this?

(https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7358/27293229295_917a04a3ca.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HzNWbT)2016-05-27_17-01-25 (https://flic.kr/p/HzNWbT) by rte66man (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rte66man/), on Flickr

^ The proposals called for something that resembled a hybrid between I-565 and Sparkman/Bob Wallace/Madison Pike and the interchanges along AL 255 north of US 72. It wasn't like what you are suggesting.

Quote from: codyg1985 on May 29, 2016, 09:46:18 PM
^ The proposals called for something that resembled a hybrid between I-565 and Sparkman/Bob Wallace/Madison Pike and the interchanges along AL 255 north of US 72. It wasn't like what you are suggesting.

AL255 interchange:
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7351/27269909101_822758b7cc_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HxKpUz)

I565 at Sparkman:
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7402/27269908551_851a499572_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/HxKpK6)

Is ALDOT locked into either of these?  I like my idea better.  Less ROW issues.

Right now I am not sure. They may go back to the drawing board, especially if development continues along the corridor.

Phases II and III of the Zierdt Road widening were consolidated into one, but that has also put it on hold until July 2017.
Source:
http://www.huntsvillempo.org/maps/

A bit of a bump, but the intersection of L&N Drive and Eagletree Lane has been converted into a 4-way stop.

The gantry for Clinton Avenue at the exit for Clinton Avenue along the southbound lanes of Memorial Parkway was removed yesterday or the day before due to wind damage.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4265/34967387690_9a26a96b45_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgX17E)Removed Gantry (https://flic.kr/p/VgX17E) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
IIRC, it was because the wind was strong enough to lean the gantry in such a way that a truck could've hit the sign. Either way though, we now get to wait another decade before ALDOT gets around to fixing and/or replacing it!

Also, here's an update on the Parkway's construction as of today:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4254/34511789244_dbc9b7708f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/UzFWz3)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/UzFWz3) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4267/34967375660_b41b6d2228_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWxf)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWxf) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4214/34511789104_be33449c91_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/UzFWwC)Boulevard South (https://flic.kr/p/UzFWwC) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4228/34967375430_4b48c24e04_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWth)Boulevard South (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWth) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4197/35315196966_8d23a47c73_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBGj)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBGj) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4290/34967375200_1f042c37a6_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWpj)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWpj) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4250/35315196636_b530a22c0a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBAC)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBAC) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4288/34967374870_978f6bf5fb_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWiC)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWiC) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4271/35315196546_b33e1a03b4_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBz5)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBz5) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4277/34967374590_64bcb52279_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWdN)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VgWWdN) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4272/35315196376_6aab8a54d4_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBw9)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBw9) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4259/34967374110_1483a95abf_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWW5w)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VgWW5w) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4286/35188094102_5c0016bdf0_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VBsbrC)Speed Limit __ (https://flic.kr/p/VBsbrC) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
This No Left Turn sign seems a bit pointless:
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4267/35315195886_1df8e7e488_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBnG)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBnG) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4253/34967373830_857d8e2286_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWVZG)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VgWVZG) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4246/35315195756_647d118a29_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBks)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VNFBks) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4275/34967373640_67f9841f46_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWVWq)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VgWVWq) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4287/34967373190_a8050fc800_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/VgWVNE)Memorial Parkway Construction Update 6-16-17 (https://flic.kr/p/VgWVNE) by freebrickproductions (https://www.flickr.com/photos/96431468@N06/), on Flickr

I'm just glad County Line Road construction finally ceased after 30 months of 40 mph speed limits.

Quote from: formulanone on June 19, 2017, 05:58:11 AM
I'm just glad County Line Road construction finally ceased after 30 months of 40 mph speed limits.

I honestly think they should have added a lane in each direction in addition to the bikepaths. It is only going to get more congested as development continues to the west. Of course, we don't plan for future growth around here; we just do the bare minimum to alleviate the congestion that is already there.

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 19, 2017, 07:21:41 AM

Quote from: formulanone on June 19, 2017, 05:58:11 AM
I'm just glad County Line Road construction finally ceased after 30 months of 40 mph speed limits.

I honestly think they should have added a lane in each direction in addition to the bikepaths. It is only going to get more congested as development continues to the west. Of course, we don't plan for future growth around here; we just do the bare minimum to alleviate the congestion that is already there.

What will be the real kicker for Madison is when they *eventually* decide to add more lanes onto US-72. But you're right, they should have added another lane when they had the chance.

Quote from: Jdsizzleslice on July 27, 2017, 08:23:29 AM

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 19, 2017, 07:21:41 AM

Quote from: formulanone on June 19, 2017, 05:58:11 AM
I'm just glad County Line Road construction finally ceased after 30 months of 40 mph speed limits.

I honestly think they should have added a lane in each direction in addition to the bikepaths. It is only going to get more congested as development continues to the west. Of course, we don't plan for future growth around here; we just do the bare minimum to alleviate the congestion that is already there.

What will be the real kicker for Madison is when they *eventually* decide to add more lanes onto US-72. But you're right, they should have added another lane when they had the chance.

Wasn't US 72 supposed to get six lanes from Providence to County Line Road? I recall hearing two years ago that construction was to begin in 2016, but then Bill Holtzclaw decided that wasn't what we needed (without any alternative).

Quote from: formulanone on July 27, 2017, 01:37:43 PM

Quote from: Jdsizzleslice on July 27, 2017, 08:23:29 AM

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 19, 2017, 07:21:41 AM

Quote from: formulanone on June 19, 2017, 05:58:11 AM
I'm just glad County Line Road construction finally ceased after 30 months of 40 mph speed limits.

I honestly think they should have added a lane in each direction in addition to the bikepaths. It is only going to get more congested as development continues to the west. Of course, we don't plan for future growth around here; we just do the bare minimum to alleviate the congestion that is already there.

What will be the real kicker for Madison is when they *eventually* decide to add more lanes onto US-72. But you're right, they should have added another lane when they had the chance.

Wasn't US 72 supposed to get six lanes from Providence to County Line Road? I recall hearing two years ago that construction was to begin in 2016, but then Bill Holtzclaw decided that wasn't what we needed (without any alternative).

I think it is still on the table. Not sure when, though. A lot of the promised projects haven't been let yet.

Quote from: formulanone on July 27, 2017, 01:37:43 PM

Quote from: Jdsizzleslice on July 27, 2017, 08:23:29 AM

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 19, 2017, 07:21:41 AM

Quote from: formulanone on June 19, 2017, 05:58:11 AM
I'm just glad County Line Road construction finally ceased after 30 months of 40 mph speed limits.

I honestly think they should have added a lane in each direction in addition to the bikepaths. It is only going to get more congested as development continues to the west. Of course, we don't plan for future growth around here; we just do the bare minimum to alleviate the congestion that is already there.

What will be the real kicker for Madison is when they *eventually* decide to add more lanes onto US-72. But you're right, they should have added another lane when they had the chance.

Wasn't US 72 supposed to get six lanes from Providence to County Line Road? I recall hearing two years ago that construction was to begin in 2016, but then Bill Holtzclaw decided that wasn't what we needed (without any alternative).

I remember it being because Bill opposed former Gov. Bentley on a different issue, so he cut part of the road budget that would widen 72.

Maybe all of you who are residence of Huntsville can solve a mystery for me.

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6303921,-86.5651663,0a,75y/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdeKAP2g9_l9VyV3RWeQW3g!2e0 Check out Mountain Gap Road Southeast, Huntsville, Alabama Shared via the #StreetView app

This is not your normal trackside signal. What is it used for?  :hmmm:

I am not sure, but the crossing at Hobbs Road has a track signal with it too.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6131837,-86.5631807,3a,70.6y,87.86h,96.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1VTKfo93YKjS50Vgqe2rfw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Quote from: cjk374 on August 06, 2017, 09:56:35 AM
Maybe all of you who are residence of Huntsville can solve a mystery for me.

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6303921,-86.5651663,0a,75y/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sdeKAP2g9_l9VyV3RWeQW3g!2e0 Check out Mountain Gap Road Southeast, Huntsville, Alabama Shared via the #StreetView app

This is not your normal trackside signal. What is it used for?  :hmmm:

Quote from: codyg1985 on August 06, 2017, 10:00:51 AM
I am not sure, but the crossing at Hobbs Road has a track signal with it too.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6131837,-86.5631807,3a,70.6y,87.86h,96.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1VTKfo93YKjS50Vgqe2rfw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Both are used to let the train crews know the crossing signals are active. Top and bottom lights light up a stead yellow when the signals turn on. I have a photo of them lit-up somewhere...

ALDOT has plans to let the AL 255/Blake Bottom Road interchange this month. It is quite a strange setup. It will involve a two-lane bridge over the frontage roads and the mainline, with a trumpet-like set of ramps on the east side of AL 255. There are no direct connections to mainline AL 255, but part of the work will involve constructing a new slip ramp from the SB Frontage Road to SB AL 255 just north of where current Blake Bottom Road intersects with the Frontage Road.

The plans can be found here (http://alletting.dot.state.al.us/PLANPROP/20170825_Call_006_Plans.pdf).

Makes me wonder why did they cut off Blake Bottom Road when the interchange at AL 53 was built.

Quote from: jdb1234 on August 11, 2017, 10:53:40 AM
Makes me wonder why did they cut off Blake Bottom Road when the interchange at AL 53 was built.

I am guessing it was due to cost and because a design had not yet been done on a separate interchange.

Quote from: codyg1985 on August 11, 2017, 12:14:49 PM

Quote from: jdb1234 on August 11, 2017, 10:53:40 AM
Makes me wonder why did they cut off Blake Bottom Road when the interchange at AL 53 was built.

I am guessing it was due to cost and because a design had not yet been done on a separate interchange.

I think county residents claimed at the time that the overpasses stopped at the Huntsville city limits. And I think that is true.

Construction on The Parkway is a year ahead of schedule!
http://whnt.com/2017/11/17/an-end-in-sight-for-the-south-parkway-construction-project/

Quote
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The construction project on South Parkway has been going on for nearly two years. It is now expected to be finished a year ahead of schedule.

Construction crews poured concrete on the southbound bridge deck of the overpass at Logan Drive and Lily Flagg Road, marking phase two of the $53.9 million project.

Construction began in December, 2015. Phase one, the Martin Road Project, was completed in August, nearly four months ahead of schedule. Phase two is the construction of the overpasses.

Seth Burkett, the spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Transportation, said this phase is also ahead of schedule and the project is expected to be completed sometime this summer.

Burkett said the early finish is because they learned from past projects. He said having the overpasses and service roads constructed as separate projects can create delays. "We decided to tie both projects together, which drastically reduced the amount of time going from one phase of the project to the other and has eliminated a lot of the delay that motorists would see," Burkett said.

Contractors have already received $2.5 million in incentives for finishing phase one ahead of schedule and will make another $2.5 million if they complete phase two early as well.

More than 70,000 vehicles travel on the Parkway every day. The construction project will create about twelve miles of continuous expressway, improving traffic flow through the area.

I can't believe there's only two through lanes per direction on the Parkway under the new Martin Road interchange. No room for expansion.

Quote from: formulanone on November 18, 2017, 05:41:23 PM
I can’t believe there’s only two through lanes per direction on the Parkway under the new Martin Road interchange. No room for expansion.

IIRC, there were ROW issues that they had to compensate for when building the new interchange, which might've factored into the number of lanes underneath Martin Road. It also looks like three could be squeezed into there, but it'd be a very tight fit.

Quote from: freebrickproductions on November 18, 2017, 08:07:13 PM

Quote from: formulanone on November 18, 2017, 05:41:23 PM
I can’t believe there’s only two through lanes per direction on the Parkway under the new Martin Road interchange. No room for expansion.

IIRC, there were ROW issues that they had to compensate for when building the new interchange, which might've factored into the number of lanes underneath Martin Road. It also looks like three could be squeezed into there, but it'd be a very tight fit.

I reckon it would look like this, if Memorial Parkway was three lanes wide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY7vA_OuF2o

Quote from: formulanone on November 18, 2017, 05:41:23 PM
I can't believe there's only two through lanes per direction on the Parkway under the new Martin Road interchange. No room for expansion.

I think it is a mistake, honestly. The entire parkway should have at least three main lanes in each direction. Of course, that would have taken more ROW. The part between Airport and University needs widening big time.

Quote from: codyg1985 on November 21, 2017, 09:16:51 AM

Quote from: formulanone on November 18, 2017, 05:41:23 PM
I can’t believe there’s only two through lanes per direction on the Parkway under the new Martin Road interchange. No room for expansion.

I think it is a mistake, honestly. The entire parkway should have at least three main lanes in each direction. Of course, that would have taken more ROW. The part between Airport and University needs widening big time.

The interchange with I-565 could be redesigned as well to allow for better traffic flow onto it from the Parkway. The loop ramps (as much fun as they are to go around) do tend to cause back-ups, I've noticed. Especially in the morning rush-hour.

I have some questions about Alabama State Route 20's path. I've always been curious about this route, as traces of it seem to be all over town.

From squinting at some old maps, I'm trying to figure out AL 20's path from Huntsville towards Decatur. What I can piece together is that it was a circuitous bit of stair-stepping:

• West on Old Madison Pike
• South on Hughes Road
• West on Mill Road
• South on Church Street
• Right (west) on Main Street for a little stretch...

But did it go north or south on Sullivan Street (?)

I can't tell if it was then routed on Mill Road (closest to Main Street), Palmer Road, or Madison Boulevard.

What I do know is that it must have been routed for a bit onto County Line Road, so it could "get" to Old Highway 20, went left onto Mooresville Road, south towards Belle Mina, swung down through Mooresville, and onto Decatur using the old alignment left by the 65/565 complex (rejoining present-day AL 20).

For that matter, where did AL 20 join up though downtown Huntsville? I'm a bit confused, but I'm guessing it probably joined Whitesburg Drive at some point.

Thanks for any help on this.

http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/
By 1937, SR 20 used Mill all the way to County Line. The east end is Bob Wallace-Triana-Clinton, initially shown ending at the city limits.

 

Quote from: NE2 on December 05, 2017, 08:26:04 PM
http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/
By 1937, SR 20 used Mill all the way to County Line. The east end is Bob Wallace-Triana-Clinton, initially shown ending at the city limits.

:clap: Thanks! I missed that little circled 20 at the west end of the '37 map, and saw two separate 20s on the '38 map.

It looks like it later winded along the railroad in Madison, if the 1948 map (http://cartweb.geography.ua.edu/lizardtech/iserv/calcrgn?cat=North%20America%20and%20United%20States&item=States/Alabama/Counties//madison%5Chy_madison48.sid&wid=1000&hei=900&props=item(Name,Description),cat(Name,Description)&style=simple/view-dhtml.xsl) is correct (and the thicker dashed-line denotes the route), but then moved again according to the 1959 map.

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/

Quote from: WHNT
Widening of I-565 now an issue in Alabama governor's race, but state DOT records say help is a long way off
POSTED 5:52 PM, MAY 9, 2018, BY BRIAN LAWSON, UPDATED AT 07:38PM, MAY 9, 2018

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Frustrated commuters who regularly drive in heavy traffic on I-565 may be relieved to hear those traffic problems are now an issue in the Alabama governor's race.

But Alabama Department of Transportation records — so far — suggest it could be a long time before any relief is delivered.

The timing will grow in importance since the Toyota-Mazda plant will be located off I-565. That means some 4,000 workers will be added to the traffic flow in the coming years.

Gov. Kay Ivey told a Huntsville luncheon audience in early April she was aware that I-565 needed to be widened.

"Improving your commute on I-565 is important and it is a priority for this governor and I will see it through, you have my commitment on that,"  she said.

The Alabama 2018 primary elections are June 5 and a statewide poll from April showed Ivey with a solid lead over second-place challenger Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

Battle cited the need to widen I-565 during a ribbon cutting event at the GE Aviation facility Wednesday, calling out to Alabama Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, that he'd work with Orr to improve conditions on I-565. He also expressed sympathy for GE workers who have to deal with the daily commute.

"Arthur — 565 is going to be a key for us — we're going to have to take care of 565,"  Battle said.

Ivey was sitting right behind him.

She went back to the mike immediately after Battle — even though she'd delivered her prepared remarks before him. She recalled her pledge at the Huntsville luncheon last month and said work on an interchange for Greenbrier Road was currently being bid.

"I-565 is a high priority,"  the governor said.

Ivey was asked about taking back the mike and said she wanted to "clear the air,"  because she'd made the announcement that I-565 was a "high priority"  for her.

But Alabama Department of Transportation planning records located by WHNT News 19 don't reflect that priority, at least not at this point.

Current planning for widening I-565 has construction dates far into the future: Including 2043 for adding lanes from Greenbrier Road to the Madison County line;  2046 for adding lanes east of I-65 to Greenbrier Road, and 2050 for adding east and westbound lanes from the Madison County line to east of Wall-Triana Highway.

We asked the governor how that schedule fits into the talk of priorities.

"It means we're going to do it as fast as we can, but it's a big project and you've got to plan well,"  Ivey said. "And 565 will be addressed, in a timely fashion, and you have to plan to make monies available, because there's not a bucket of money just sitting there."

The Governor's Office also said the Alabama DOT project planning list WHNT found online reflects DOT priorities based on 2016 funding projections. They said today they expect the DOT to update that list and the I-565 target dates.

Here's the statement from Ivey's office.

"Even before the Toyota-Mazda announcement, ALDOT expressed the understanding that these projects would have to move forward sooner than what is reflected in the schedule. The schedule available online is based on 2016 ability to fund projects.

"This does not mean that ALDOT is not looking for ways to move those projects forward sooner. ALDOT is looking at any and all options to improve capacity on I-565 within their funding capability and are working toward our goal of starting a project to improve the Greenbrier interchange, a critical point along this corridor and a nexus for the developing area, in late summer or early fall."

But for now, there is no new timetable for work on I-565 and until the money can be found, the traffic problems are expected to grow.

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.  :poke:

North Alabama really should secede and annex into Tennessee.  :bigass:

Quote from: freebrickproductions on May 10, 2018, 02:05:16 AM
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/

Quote from: bigdave on May 10, 2018, 09:12:05 AM
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.  :poke:

North Alabama really should secede and annex into Tennessee.  :bigass:

Quote from: freebrickproductions on May 10, 2018, 02:05:16 AM
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? :pan:

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

Quote from: AL.com
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...

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.

Quote from: freebrickproductions on July 12, 2018, 01:40:32 PM
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?

Quote from: cjk374 on July 14, 2018, 11:01:08 AM

Quote from: freebrickproductions on July 12, 2018, 01:40:32 PM
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.

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/

(https://3jzi0q2zthm01oqpx2h96lz1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/County-Line-Road-Renderings-1024x544.jpg)

Quote from: freebrickproductions on July 14, 2018, 03:24:36 PM

Quote from: cjk374 on July 14, 2018, 11:01:08 AM

Quote from: freebrickproductions on July 12, 2018, 01:40:32 PM
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.

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

Quote from: AL.com
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.

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/

Quote from: freebrickproductions on October 01, 2018, 01:18:57 AM
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.

It looks like I-565 between I-65 and County Line Rd will be widened to six lanes (https://www.al.com/news/2019/04/gov-ivey-announces-plans-to-widen-i-565-in-huntsville.html?fbclid=IwAR1cogRpwN1Uw_wIR1UknzuRijcUwu6vddibNCu1Z9bf-7tbxM-Aib1ougk) 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.

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 17, 2019, 04:39:48 PM
It looks like I-565 between I-65 and County Line Rd will be widened to six lanes (https://www.al.com/news/2019/04/gov-ivey-announces-plans-to-widen-i-565-in-huntsville.html?fbclid=IwAR1cogRpwN1Uw_wIR1UknzuRijcUwu6vddibNCu1Z9bf-7tbxM-Aib1ougk) 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!

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

Quote from: codyg1985 on April 17, 2019, 04:39:48 PM
It looks like I-565 between I-65 and County Line Rd will be widened to six lanes (https://www.al.com/news/2019/04/gov-ivey-announces-plans-to-widen-i-565-in-huntsville.html?fbclid=IwAR1cogRpwN1Uw_wIR1UknzuRijcUwu6vddibNCu1Z9bf-7tbxM-Aib1ougk) 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.

Bumping this topic...

I-565 expansion announced, Highway 72 widening project gets new life (https://whnt.com/news/madison/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.

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

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.

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on May 18, 2022, 08:29:30 PM
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.  :banghead:

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

Quote from: codyg1985 on May 19, 2022, 08:36:45 AM

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on May 18, 2022, 08:29:30 PM
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.  :banghead:

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... :-/