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?!?!?!? 
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.
2. Two more lanes for I-565?? Make Memorial Dr. a full-fledged freeway by filling in the gaps?? YES PLEASE!!! 
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.
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.
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.
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).
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 I couldn't tell if one arrow was humping another or the arrow had a very sad disposition in life. 
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!2e07. 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.
That Alexander Shunnarah fella sure loves putting his ugly mug on billboards all over Alabama: http://www.shunnarah.com/ 
Charles Pitman is also a billboard you see everywhere. Those billboards get annoying.
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Topic: Huntsville (Read 126716 times)