Birmingham

[DJStephens]

Went up I-65 North through downtown today for lunch and snagged a few pics of the new signage for the junction.

2 mile signage...it's just difficult to look at.


I do like the new median signage. But could it have killed them to stick I-22 on there as well?


1 mile signage. If you zoom in to the southbound side, you can see the back of one of the original button copy overheads that somehow survived the overhaul.


And ALDOT has already put up the I-20/59 detour shields for when the viaducts come down. Installed from the junction to AL-378/Finley Blvd. Over half of them are crooked or about to fall on the ground so it was a rush job. Down at the traffic light on the left side, one of the shields was literally laying out in the road. Got the green light unfortunately so I couldn't get a pic. That minivan is on top of it actually.


Had to rush back to work so I didn't get anything else unfortunately. I also didn't get a pic of one of the new signs on I-20/59 north at US-78/Arkadelphia Road when I went through there last week. It merely says US-78 West/Arkadelphia.
The word Road is omitted and folks traveling through have no clue that US-78 East is a option as well. I still believe that ALDOT plans to multiplex 78 with I-20/59 to US-31/280 once the new bridges are built.


iPhone

An enormous BGS it appears to be.  Hope they calculated possible wind loading.  Would have considered a break up into three smaller panels.

[Tom958]

An enormous BGS it appears to be.  Hope they calculated possible wind loading.  Would have considered a break up into three smaller panels.

They could've reduced the height by a few feet by putting the 20 and 59 shields side by side...

[mvak36]

Went up I-65 North through downtown today for lunch and snagged a few pics of the new signage for the junction.

2 mile signage...it’s just difficult to look at.

Those signs aren't that bad to be honest. I've seen a lot worse. They seem a little tall like Tom958 was saying, but other than that not too bad.

[sparker]

^^^^^^^
Now -- if they just moved the "Huntsville" control up right under the 65 pull-through shield, they have plenty of room to place "TO I-22/Memphis" directly underneath.  But I-22 being the red-headed stepchild of the region, that's probably not going to happen in the near term!

[NE2]

Just wondering if anyone had seen the article in various news outlets about the park concept to be built under the new viaducts 59/20 when they are completed? It's to be known as City Walk. Is there any examples of this in another city? It would stretch some 10 city blocks.

Orlando plans something similar under I-4: http://www.cityoforlando.net/i-4-ultimate-improvement-project/
https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2017/10/12/i-4-under-i-park-project-update-business.html

[Anthony_JK]

^^^^^^^
Now -- if they just moved the "Huntsville" control up right under the 65 pull-through shield, they have plenty of room to place "TO I-22/Memphis" directly underneath.  But I-22 being the red-headed stepchild of the region, that's probably not going to happen in the near term!

There is actually enough room on the current signage to do the following:

I-65 NORTH
TO I-22

Huntsville
Memphis

Or, they could use a separate BGS on the side:

MEMPHIS VIA I-22
USE I-65 NORTH

But, then, that's only me.

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^
Both workable ideas; prefer the former to the latter (overhead signs get more attention and have greater impact).  It's amazing to me that both AL and MS sunk millions into I-22 only to virtually ignore its existence in regards to trailblazer signage on intersecting or nearby routes (see the I-22 and I-269 threads for more on this!).

[Tomahawkin]

Passed through the 20/59 interchange with 65. It looks as if it is 80-100 percent complete? Those flyovers looked nice and were 20+ years overdue. IMO

[Voyager75]

New signage at Exit 123/Arkadelphia Rd. on I-20/59 only say US-78 West as shown several pages back. Well my theory that US-78 might be rerouted onto I-20/59 to the Red Mtn Expressway after the bridges are rebuilt took a step forward.
Now I know this commercial for 5920bridge.com is locally produced and possibly just a mistake by a intern but this map has a interesting placement of a US-78 shield.

Taken from a bumper coming back from commercial break on ABC 33/40:



It is possible they created the graphics copying material provided by ALDOT since their seal is shown. We'll see...


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[Voyager75]

Some of the new bridge pylons for westbound 20/59 have gone up. Gives a idea how much wider and taller the new viaduct will be.


iPhone

[Tomahawkin]

Any idea how many lanes the new viaduct will be? I'm guessing 12 total?

[froggie]

10, but with full shoulders.

[Tom958]

Some of the new bridge pylons for westbound 20/59 have gone up. Gives a idea how much wider and taller the new viaduct will be.

Not to mention having an architectural look, which is very rare for Alabama. In fact, one of the new flyovers at the 20-59-65 interchange has one unpainted concrete AASHTO beam span while the rest of the structure is green-painted plate girders. It looks bad.


Whole article, August 2018

[barcncpt44]

Let the chaos begin.  I-20/59 will close through downtown Birmingham on MLK Day. https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2019/01/14-month-i-5920-closure-to-start-monday.html

[Charles2]

New photos from the demolition of the I-20/59 downtown overpasses, courtesy of al.com

https://www.al.com/expo/news/g66l-2019/02/5d55c467a04948/new-photos-of-i5920-bridge-deck-demolition-in-birmingham.html

Two-plus weeks in, and the progress they have made is impressive.  I drove through the area last night and was surprised at just how much they had accomplished already.

[DJStephens]

Some of the new bridge pylons for westbound 20/59 have gone up. Gives a idea how much wider and taller the new viaduct will be.

Not to mention having an architectural look, which is very rare for Alabama. In fact, one of the new flyovers at the 20-59-65 interchange has one unpainted concrete AASHTO beam span while the rest of the structure is green-painted plate girders. It looks bad.


Whole article, August 2018

Far better than the busy, visual clutter of texdot interchanges. Simple and utilitarian. Shows restraint of use of public money.

[Tourian]

Let the chaos begin.  I-20/59 will close through downtown Birmingham on MLK Day. https://www.al.com/news/birmingham/2019/01/14-month-i-5920-closure-to-start-monday.html

It hasn't been very chaotic. There are so many other options through the city. Great progress so far. I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't finished much earlier than anticipated.

[froggie]

^ Pretty sure there are financial incentives built into the contract for the contractor to finish early (and penalties if it's delayed/late).

[Charles2]

^ Pretty sure there are financial incentives built into the contract for the contractor to finish early (and penalties if it's delayed/late).

IIRC, it's $250K/day.

[Tourian]

^ Pretty sure there are financial incentives built into the contract for the contractor to finish early (and penalties if it's delayed/late).

Let me rephrase that. Even being aware of the penalties/incentives, I believe they will be finished a lot earlier than anticipated.

[Voyager75]

Had to drive out to Pinson today so I got to snag a few pics of the 20/59(not calling them the ALDOT decreed 59/20) bridge segments being built across the interstate from the BHM Airport.







Hard to make out exactly as to which pieces are what from this distance but it appears they are all just pieces of the pylons/supports

Also noticed a couple of new signs put up from the last time I came through for Exits 126 A/B. They look great...





Couldn't get pics with bumper to bumper traffic getting off the interstate at US 31/280, but the construction area at the former viaducts is going strong. Dozens of cranes everywhere and a few of the old bridge supports remain by the Sheraton, but everything else is just dirt  along with the few new supports up by the Arena.


iPhone

[Charles2]

And then there was this news item posted on al.com today:

https://www.al.com/news/2019/03/i-5920-bridge-construction-to-start-next-week.html

[Charles2]

It looks like AL-149 has been further truncated.  For many years the southern terminus of the route was at US-280 in Mountain Brook and the northern terminus was at US-31/280 at University Boulevard near St. Vincent's Hospital.  Some years ago northern terminus of was truncated to Oxmoor Road in Homewood.  Now it appears that the route now ends at the intersection of Lakeshore Drive and Green Springs Highway (CR-99).

Before I-65 was completed, AL-149 served as the signed truck route for US-31 and US-280.  Now it the route serves no redeeming purpose.  Why does ALDOT continue to maintain what's left of this route?

[froggie]

^ I have not seen anything on the 2nd truncation you refer to (to Lakeshore Pkwy).

The first truncation was actually to north of Valley Ave, basically at the Birmingham city limits about 1/4mi north of Valley Ave.  According to ALDOT's latest Milepost Map for Jefferson County, this change occurred in May, 2015.

My guess is that Birmingham wanted to take local control/responsibility for the portion inside the city, and so that's why ALDOT relinquished it.

[Charles2]

^ Guide signs directing NB 149 traffic to turn onto Green Springs Highway have been removed, as have any reassurance signs on Green Springs north of Lakeshore have been removed.