Preliminary Announcement: Birmingham, AL Road Meet for Fall 2012

[codyg1985]

I have been thinking of having a meet in Birmingham sometime this fall. The primary focus of the meet would be the I-22/I-65 interchange construction. After scouting the area out today, there are several good vantage points from nearby roads and neighborhoods where we can see the interchange construction. Also, when I was there today, one of the fences was torn up which allowed me to walk down onto the main lanes of I-22, which right now have base down but no pavement.

Here is a map showing all of the vantage points that I took photos from today. I posted some of the photos over on the I-22 thread.

I am hoping that by this fall a lot more work will be done. I suspect that maybe the flyovers will be really taking shape by this fall. I was thinking of maybe doing this late September or October. So that leaves us with these dates (all on a Saturday):

September 29th
October 6th
October 13th
October 20th

If we have time after, we can always check out other areas of roadgeek interest, such as malfunction junction (I-20/59/65 interchange), the I-459 symmetrical stacks at I-65 and I-20, one of the oldest cloverleafs in the United States at US 31 and Lakeshore Drive, Old US 78 alignments north and west of Birmingham, Old US 280 alignments southeast of Birmingham, and/or US 31/280 (Red Mountain Expressway), including the massive rock cut through Red Mountain. We could also check out I-22 itself going northwest from Birmingham.

Is there an interest for this? If anyone is interested in attending, what date(s) would work best?

[hbelkins]

I'm definitely interested but can't commit this far out. I would prefer the last listed weekend date in October because it's the date of the annual local street festival and it would give me a very good excuse to be out of town and unavailable for visiting friends or relatives. 

[jpi]

I am definently interested too. (Like I said when we were scouting out the Memphis area the other week ) Any of the October dates should be good for Steph and I , later in October and it would be an anniversary trip for us The Sept. date is the only one I am doubting but even that can be arranged too.

[mightyace]

I would like to try and make it myself.  Can't say much more this far out.

I do have this suggestion.  DO NOT HAVE THE MEET ON OCTOBER 6th!  That is the weekend of the second NASCAR race at Talladega.  Most, if not all of the motel rooms in the area will be booked and if there are any that aren't booked will they will cost at least twice what they do otherwise!

[hbelkins]

Do Bama home football games have any effect on lodging in Birmingham?

[codyg1985]

I would like to try and make it myself.  Can't say much more this far out.

I do have this suggestion.  DO NOT HAVE THE MEET ON OCTOBER 6th!  That is the weekend of the second NASCAR race at Talladega.  Most, if not all of the motel rooms in the area will be booked and if there are any that aren't booked will they will cost at least twice what they do otherwise!

Noted. As HB said also, I should check and see which dates have Alabama home games. It could have a slight effect on lodging in Birmingham as well as additional game-day traffic, depending on which direction you are driving from.

According to this website, Alabama home games are played on September 22th, September 29th, October 27th, and November 3rd.

So based on that and above, we can safely narrow down the potential dates to October 13th and October 20th.

[hbelkins]

My early vote is the 20th.

[jpi]

Either date is good for me at this point. Steph and I will drive down Saturday morning, should not have to worry about lodgeing.

[mightyace]

^^^

I echo that sentiment.  Maybe we can carpool.

[jpi]

^^^

I echo that sentiment.  Maybe we can carpool.

We'll see Andrew, If Steph and I go down for the day or if it's just me then we can meet up in the Spring Hill area and go from there.