Topic: Huntsville (Read 126686 times)

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #175 on:** November 27, 2015, 06:58:17 PM »

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

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Huntsville 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.

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #176 on:** December 08, 2015, 01:15:29 PM »

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

Quote

The 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.

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #177 on:** December 17, 2015, 04:23:38 PM »

Here are some photos of the construction along Memorial Parkway that I took yesterday:

Memorial Parkway Constrution 12-16-15 by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #178 on:** January 05, 2016, 03:48:38 PM »

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/

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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.

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #179 on:** January 29, 2016, 01:59:14 PM »

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?

Alex · « **Reply #180 on:** February 22, 2016, 01:30:03 PM »

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.

codyg1985 · « **Reply #181 on:** February 23, 2016, 08:43:30 AM »

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.

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #182 on:** April 16, 2016, 06:48:31 PM »

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:

Davis Circle Extension by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Davis Circle Extension by freebrickproductions, 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:

Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Martin Road Overpass Construction 4-16-16 by freebrickproductions, 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:

Triple Left Turn by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

Tom958 · « **Reply #183 on:** April 17, 2016, 03:13:03 PM »

Damn, those Redstone Arsenal BGS's got hit with the ugly stick!

codyg1985 · « **Reply #184 on:** April 17, 2016, 06:16:11 PM »

Quote from: Tom958 on April 17, 2016, 03:13:03 PM

Damn, those Redstone Arsenal BGS's got hit with the ugly stick!

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.

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #185 on:** April 21, 2016, 06:47:59 PM »

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:

New Signage by freebrickproductions, on Flickr

New Signage by freebrickproductions, 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.

jdb1234 · « **Reply #186 on:** May 12, 2016, 05:20:17 PM »

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

bigdave · « **Reply #187 on:** May 12, 2016, 06:09:37 PM »

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.

David

codyg1985 · « **Reply #188 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.

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #189 on:** May 13, 2016, 09:50:45 AM »

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.

capt.ron · « **Reply #190 on:** May 15, 2016, 05:13:43 PM »

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?

codyg1985 · « **Reply #191 on:** May 16, 2016, 07:39:40 AM »

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.

capt.ron · « **Reply #192 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.

codyg1985 · « **Reply #193 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.

rte66man · « **Reply #194 on:** May 27, 2016, 06:05:33 PM »

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?

2016-05-27_17-01-25 by rte66man, on Flickr

codyg1985 · « **Reply #195 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.

rte66man · « **Reply #196 on:** May 29, 2016, 10:07:11 PM »

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:

I565 at Sparkman:

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

codyg1985 · « **Reply #197 on:** May 31, 2016, 09:28:00 AM »

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

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #198 on:** August 29, 2016, 03:49:21 PM »

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/

freebrickproductions · « **Reply #199 on:** November 19, 2016, 05:55:11 PM »

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

News:

Author Topic: Huntsville (Read 126686 times)