Moving I-20/59 below grade in Birmingham...?

[UptownRoadGeek]

Whatever happened to this idea that was being thrown around about a year ago 

[RoadWarrior56]

I shudder to think of the maintenance of traffic nightmare for that proposal during construction.

[The Premier]

I shudder to think of the maintenance of traffic nightmare for that proposal during construction.

Like ODOT did with the Ft. Washington Way reconstruction.

[froggie]

Same idea got bandied about in the late '90s.  As you can see, it didn't get very far...

[UptownRoadGeek]

I shudder to think of the maintenance of traffic nightmare for that proposal during construction.

I guess they can pull it off in Birmingham if they could pull it off in Houston.

My question is if it had have gone any further, would it really be necessary?

[codyg1985]

I imagine that section of I-20/59 would be closed and detoured to I-459 during construction in order to speed it up.

I haven't heard any more on this proposal. I doubt this is at the top of the list of priorities for officials in Birmingham, even though it would be nice to see.

[froggie]

I imagine that section of I-20/59 would be closed and detoured to I-459 during construction in order to speed it up.

I don't see that being the case, given this is the busiest section of freeway in the entire state.  They're bound to keep at least some of it open.

[golden eagle]

I imagine that section of I-20/59 would be closed and detoured to I-459 during construction in order to speed it up.

I haven't heard any more on this proposal. I doubt this is at the top of the list of priorities for officials in Birmingham, even though it would be nice to see.

That'd be an even worse traffic nightmare, especially if drivers are having to get off on U.S. 31. Why bother doing this project in the first place?

[UptownRoadGeek]

They could just shift all traffic to one side of the highway and do it one side at a time.

[froggie]

...which is basically how INDOT redid I-70 in eastern Indianapolis a few years ago, though that project didn't involve any grade changes...was mainly a bridge-and-pavement reconstruction.

[Tourian]

That's a neat idea, I remember seeing that picture a while back and thinking about how tidy and nice it looked. Then I started thinking about the money, coordination, cooperation and just flat out leadership and discipline required to pull off such a project. And I just came to the conclusion that Birmingham's leaders don't have it in them.

[jdb1234]

Plans to put I-20/59 under downtown Birmingham to take next step:

http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2010/09/plans_to_put_i-2059_under_down.html

[wriddle082]

I shudder to think of the maintenance of traffic nightmare for that proposal during construction.

Like ODOT did with the Ft. Washington Way reconstruction.

At least Ft. Washington Way was already below grade, so they only had to close exits and rebuild existing bridges one at a time.

I agree, 20/59 would have to be shut down in order to pull this one off.  It would be really nice if 459 were a full beltway, or if 22 were not only finished but at least reached 59 NE of the city.  More alternate routes and it would be more painless, or at least a close alternate route, like 640 around Knoxville when they did SmartFix40.

Can we assume that flash flooding doesn't regularly occur in Downtown Birmingham?  I don't seem to recall a river nearby, but is there a creek?

[froggie]

I agree, 20/59 would have to be shut down in order to pull this one off.

I don't think so.  It could be done half at a time.  It'd be an engineering and traffic nightmare, but it's obviously feasible or ALDOT wouldn't have agreed to pursue it further.

[Tourian]

I don't think so.  It could be done half at a time.  It'd be an engineering and traffic nightmare, but it's obviously feasible or ALDOT wouldn't have agreed to pursue it further.

Funny you say that, because from what I have read ALDOT did not think it was feasible but some other firm did a study to show them and now they think its possible.

[codyg1985]

I don't think so.  It could be done half at a time.  It'd be an engineering and traffic nightmare, but it's obviously feasible or ALDOT wouldn't have agreed to pursue it further.

Funny you say that, because from what I have read ALDOT did not think it was feasible but some other firm did a study to show them and now they think its possible.

I don't see how the traffic would be shifted while one side is demolished to construct the trench unless you squeezed four narrow lanes onto one of the bridges. The lanes may need to be 9' or 10' lanes.

[Alps]

All through traffic moves onto I-459.  That takes care of maybe 10% of what you have downtown.  I can't say how close to 0 or 20 or more it might be.  If you have half the freeway open, you could do a 2-1 zipper arrangement or make it a semi-permanent 1/1.  This would all be helped greatly by routing I-22 to the 20/59 split...

[Grzrd]

This would all be helped greatly by routing I-22 to the 20/59 split...

I remember ALDOT studying this possiblity years ago.  Is it in limbo due to lack of funds, or was there an official determination that it would not be a feasible project?

[UptownRoadGeek]

I don't see how the traffic would be shifted while one side is demolished to construct the trench unless you squeezed four narrow lanes onto one of the bridges. The lanes may need to be 9' or 10' lanes.

Move all traffic to one side. Demolish the empty side and dig trench in its place. Move all traffic into the trench and demolish the remaining elevated structure.

The remaining elevated side should be able to hold 4 narrow lanes (or 3 depending on traffic demand) and it may be possible to squeeze 6 into the trench. Through traffic can be moved to I-459.

[froggie]

Cody has a point...there's one small section east of 17th where the lanes would have to be considerably narrowed.  And traffic volumes are too high to go with only 3 lanes.  Some temporary bridge widening may be possible to alleviate the narrow lanes, though.