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[Bamaroadgeek]

Has the proposed freeway from I-10 in Florida to Dothan, AL ever gotten anywhere?  I did read that it was being debated heavily and that there is another chance it could be extended to Panama City as well.

It'd take ALDOT a century and a half to build it even if it were making progress.

[bdmoss88]

The new exit 50 on I-85 opened at some point this week. It is signed as Auburn Technology Parkway which could cause some confusion as the technology park just east of I-85 off US-29 has a street named Technology Parkway that isn't connected to this road.

[SSF]

i suspect the speed limit signs on that stretch will still be up for another 2 months so Lee County or whoever can make some money off of it still.

been waiting on that one to open for a while though, glad to see it

[Tom958]

On July 4, 2012, I drove from Columbus, GA to Nashville via US 280 and I-65, and I noticed that Clearview has gained a toehold in Alabama. There were a few recently replaced signs in B'ham, and new (what are these called?) bridge nameplates on I-65.

[froggie]

Those bridge nameplates have been getting installed statewide for several years now.  The first of them appeared long before I left Mississippi in 2008.

[codyg1985]

Here is a list of road improvements (mostly) that the Alabama Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy has outlined. The one I find the most interesting is widening I-65 to six lanes to the Tennessee state line. It needs it at least to AL 157 or to I-565, but I don't think it is justified north of I-565 yet. If Huntsville gets its way and develops southeastern Limestone County, however, that could change.

[Alex]

Here is a list of road improvements (mostly) that the Alabama Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy has outlined.

North-South Corridor. Construct North-South Corridor through West Alabama.

Still touting that Pipe dream? Listed separately from:

Corridor Study for West Alabama Freeway. Complete north-south corridor/environmental study for controlled access highway connecting the Shoals to Mobile.

U.S. Highway 431. Widen U.S. Highway 431 to four lanes from I-20 to I-85.

Given its indirect path between Opelika and Anniston, I don't see how four-laning this route is needed.

Montgomery Southern Outer Loop. Complete the outer loop to improve transportation access for communities south of Montgomery.

You should see the progress in the flyovers at I-85 now. Some of the ramps are way up there!

Macon County Interstate Exit. Develop an additional exit in Macon County along Interstate 85.

From a traffic flow standpoint, I-85 does not need anymore exits right now...

I-10 Connector. Construct an Interstate Connector to I-10.

Pipe dream #2.

I-10 Mobile River Bridge. Six lane interstate bridge over the Mobile River and Bayway improvements.

No local news on this in a couple of years now...

Outer Loop – Northern and Southern Loops. Connector from I-85 to I-65 North and South.

There should be a better connection between I-85 or 65 to Wetumpka. US 231 is fairly developed from East Boulevard northward to the Wetumpka bypass. Have not taken Alabama 14 between Prattville and Wetumpka, but I am sure its loaded with sprawl.

Exit 50 on I-85. Addition of Exit 50 on Interstate I-85 in Auburn AL. The new exit will increase transportation access into and out of three Auburn Technology Parks.

Opened last month.

U.S. Highway 231 Access Management/4-Lane Vaughn Rd. Access management of Hwy 231 through Troy/4-lane Vaughn Rd from Montgomery to Bullock County.

Seems like a good idea, but $5 million won't cover much.

Corridor V Memphis to Atlanta Highway. Develop interstate grade highway corridor.

Pipe dream #3.

[codyg1985]

ALDOT will soon let a project to widen I-20/59 east of Tuscaloosa from west of Buttermilk Road to east of US 11 in Coaling where the current six lane ends. Last year, ALDOT let a project to raise the bridges for Woodland Road and Clements Road (passes over the segment proposed to be widened in this project). I assume soon after a project will be let to widen farther west to just east of Hargrove Road. The six-lane widening is inching closer to Tuscaloosa.

Preliminary Plans

[lamsalfl]

I'd like to see the I-10 widening make it west to the MS state line.   The current project ends around mile 14.   This stretch of road is always congested as it is the default for all I-65 traffic on top of I-10's. 

[BamaZeus]

ALDOT will soon let a project to widen I-20/59 east of Tuscaloosa from west of Buttermilk Road to east of US 11 in Coaling where the current six lane ends. Last year, ALDOT let a project to raise the bridges for Woodland Road and Clements Road (passes over the segment proposed to be widened in this project). I assume soon after a project will be let to widen farther west to just east of Hargrove Road. The six-lane widening is inching closer to Tuscaloosa.

Preliminary Plans

I'm glad this is finally getting underway, as the entire thing was supposed to be complete all the way to the Black Warrior Parkway in about 2001 or so.  One of the only two overpasses west of this phase of the project at Woodland Rd. has already been raised and completed.

Although this also follows in the next phase to get done, the exit/entrance for Skyland is ridiculously dangerous, especially the southbound entrance with the long uphill climb, and not much room to merge with traffic already doing 75-80mph.  That should have been fixed years ago, but instead you get to follow an 18-wheeler up a ramp at 25mph and pray you can accelerate quickly enough to get into line.

I believe a redesign of the 359/59/US11/AL69 interchange is also in the works, but I'll believe it when I see it. 

[Ga293]

Is there any news on I-20 east of Birmingham? Is there any chance the construction will be complete sometime within the decade?

[Grzrd]

Is there any news on I-20 east of Birmingham? Is there any chance the construction will be complete sometime within the decade?

ALDOT's PROGRESS 20 webpage provides updates on the work by county.  Estimated project completion dates are included.

[lordsutch]

Is there any news on I-20 east of Birmingham? Is there any chance the construction will be complete sometime within the decade?

The St. Clair County section is done except for one bridge at the west end of the section being widened (and 3 lanes are open eastbound but not westbound once you get past it, and have been for a few months).  However, the work zone speed limit remains in place, although nobody seems observe it.

The other sections are further behind.  And, of course, the "55 zone because we're too cheap to lay down an asphalt overlay on our crumbling concrete, so please don't sue us when our road surface breaks and flies into your car windshield" is still in effect near the state line with no evidence of any effort to fix the underlying issues.

[codyg1985]

^ I'm thinking that the reasoning for going ahead with all of the widening projects in Cleburne County is to address the pavement issue, with widening as an added bonus. Unfortunately, this means that it takes longer and those speed limits will remain in place longer.

[msunat97]

Any news on the Highway 82 bypass around Centreville?

[lordsutch]

Any news on the Highway 82 bypass around Centreville?

When I was up that way in April, it looked like grading was well in progress at the west end at least.

[bdmoss88]

Any news on the Highway 82 bypass around Centreville?

When I was up that way in April, it looked like grading was well in progress at the west end at least.

The grading is done. All it needs is the base/pave. I'm not sure what they are waiting on. Just saw something in the STIP that I don't remember seeing before. A corridor study to relocate US82 from east of the Centreville bypass to I65 north of Clanton. That would be nice but am not confident that I will see that in my lifetime.

[lordsutch]

The grading is done. All it needs is the base/pave. I'm not sure what they are waiting on. Just saw something in the STIP that I don't remember seeing before. A corridor study to relocate US82 from east of the Centreville bypass to I65 north of Clanton. That would be nice but am not confident that I will see that in my lifetime.

Interesting; it might even be cheaper to build that over new terrain rather than widening the existing route to Prattville.

[bdmoss88]

The grading is done. All it needs is the base/pave. I'm not sure what they are waiting on. Just saw something in the STIP that I don't remember seeing before. A corridor study to relocate US82 from east of the Centreville bypass to I65 north of Clanton. That would be nice but am not confident that I will see that in my lifetime.

Interesting; it might even be cheaper to build that over new terrain rather than widening the existing route to Prattville.

That's what I'm thinking. Lots of curves and steep hills between Maplesville and Prattville.

Wouldn't be good for the peach/vegetable stands along 82 in Chilton county though.

[codyg1985]

The grading is done. All it needs is the base/pave. I'm not sure what they are waiting on. Just saw something in the STIP that I don't remember seeing before. A corridor study to relocate US82 from east of the Centreville bypass to I65 north of Clanton. That would be nice but am not confident that I will see that in my lifetime.

Interesting; it might even be cheaper to build that over new terrain rather than widening the existing route to Prattville.

That's what I'm thinking. Lots of curves and steep hills between Maplesville and Prattville.

Wouldn't be good for the peach/vegetable stands along 82 in Chilton county though.

It would be a whole lot shorter, too. But, it would put more traffic on I-65, which would necessitate widening even more between Montgomery and Birmingham.

[BamaZeus]

The grading is done. All it needs is the base/pave. I'm not sure what they are waiting on. Just saw something in the STIP that I don't remember seeing before. A corridor study to relocate US82 from east of the Centreville bypass to I65 north of Clanton. That would be nice but am not confident that I will see that in my lifetime.

Interesting; it might even be cheaper to build that over new terrain rather than widening the existing route to Prattville.

I agree with that.  That section of road won't lend itself easily to widening to 4 lanes.  They might as well just build a bypass of the current 82.

[froggie]

It would be a whole lot shorter, too. But, it would put more traffic on I-65, which would necessitate widening even more between Montgomery and Birmingham.

Not as much as you'd otherwise think.  IIRC, that stretch of US 82 is well below 10K ADT (only really larger on Crimson Tide game days, which you're only talking a handful of days a year).  And it's safe to say a lot of it is local traffic that would not move to any sort of "US 82 bypass" to Clanton.  So you're ultimately talking minimal impact to I-65.

[Charles2]

I wonder how many drivers going from Montgomery to Tuscaloosa actually take U.S. 82?  Isn't it really quicker to take I-65 to I-459 to I-20/59?  Of course, on game days there's no quick route to get to Tuscaloosa.

[bdmoss88]

I take US82. According to google maps it is 27 miles longer via I65-I459-I59/20. I've tried it a couple of times and there wasn't really a difference in the time.

[msunat97]

When I travel from Little Rock to Montgomery for Thanksgiving, I usually take 82 through Starkville (Mississippi State alum) & go through Tuscaloosa to Prattville.  I hate the traffic on 65 South of Birmingham.  Easier on me to go 82.