Birmingham Northern Beltline (I-422, I-959)

[Alex]

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approves permit for first segment of Northern Beltline: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/09/us_army_corps_of_engineers_app.html

The first segment will be let for construction in November.

Good to read that this will finally get going. Work was slated to start last year. See Grzrd's post upthread:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=2731.msg147724#msg147724

[Grzrd]

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approves permit for first segment of Northern Beltline: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/09/us_army_corps_of_engineers_app.html
The first segment will be let for construction in November.

Good to read that this will finally get going

Maybe not. Here comes the Southern Environmental Law Center!

The permit being challenged by the lawsuit was the final hurdle needed for construction to begin. Gov. Robert Bentley said work on the project would begin in 2014, but a prolonged suit could prevent that from happening.

[froggie]

As a side note, the money ALDOT would have to gather to build the full Northern Beltline would easily pay for the proposal to build an I-20/59 bypass of downtown.  Almost 3 times over, actually, per ALDOT cost estimates for such a downtown bypass.

Just sayin...

[Grzrd]

^ +1

[Tourian]

Looking forward to when good ole boy backroom graft gets that garbage lawsuit tossed right on out.

[codyg1985]

The first segment of the project is on the letting schedule for November in a special letting.

[Charles2]

The first segment of the project is on the letting schedule for November in a special letting.

Thanks for letting us know.   

[codyg1985]

Interesting to me that there are only three bidders tentatively interested in constructing the grade/drain for the first segment. Two are local contractors and the other is a contractor from Beckley, WV.  With a project like this and with the amount of time the near final plans have been advertised on the ALDOT website, one would think that there would be way more bidders for this project. This makes me wonder if there are constructability issues that are preventing more contractors from bidding on the project?

[codyg1985]

Looks like now there are five additional bidders for this segment.

[Alex]

Saw this on the Northern Beltline Facebook page:

Federal Court Rules Against Black Warrior Riverkeeper Request for Preliminary Injunction to Block Construction of the Northern Beltline

This afternoon the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama Northern Division ruled against the Black Warrior Riverkeeper (BWR) in BWR's request for a preliminary injunction to block the start of construction for the Northern Beltline.

The BWR had requested the injunction, claiming that the start of construction on a 1.8 mile segment of the Northern Beltline joining State Roads 79 and 75 violated the National Environmental Policy Act requirements and that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CORPS) should have conducted an Environmental Impact Study for the entire 50.1 mile Northern Beltline project instead of only the first segment.

[Tourian]

Good news. However I'm sure this isn't the last we'll hear from Black Warrior...

[Tourian]

Work will finally begin on Monday.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2014/02/northern_beltline_construction.html#incart_river_business

[NE2]

Work will finally begin on Monday.

Oink.

[Charles2]

Construction began earlier this week on the first segment of I-422, between AL-75 and AL-79 near Palmerdale.  Photos from al.com were posted today.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2014/02/northern_beltlines_first_segme.html#incart_river_default

[codyg1985]

Progress from construction between AL 75 and AL 79: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2014/05/northern_beltline_construction_2.html#incart_river_default

I really want to go scope this area out soon. I am considering hosting another meet in the Birmingham area a year from October, or whenever the I-22/65 interchange is complete. Part of the meet would have a look at this construction.

[Stephane Dumas]

I spotted this entry at a Wiki devoted to Birmingham
http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Northern_Beltline
and the Wikipedia entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridor_X-1
with few mention of the connector link between I-22 and I-422 numbered I-222

[codyg1985]

I spotted this entry at a Wiki devoted to Birmingham
http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Northern_Beltline
and the Wikipedia entry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridor_X-1
with few mention of the connector link between I-22 and I-422 numbered I-222

It doesn't seem like those wiki pages have been updated with that information. The wikipedia page is way too optimistic on the completion date for sure.

[clong]

This is the beltline construction yesterday - AL 79 end.

[MikeSantNY78]

This is the beltline construction yesterday - AL 79 end.

Nice shot.
Curious, though: is this being done as a four-lane to start, or just as a super-2 for now (like BVB in NWA)?

[ARMOURERERIC]

O was looking the other day for the dashed lines that appear on google maps for this segment without success.

[codyg1985]

Nice shot.
Curious, though: is this being done as a four-lane to start, or just as a super-2 for now (like BVB in NWA)?

It is being graded for six lanes, but only the grade and drain is being built now. The mainline bridges will be contracted out next, then finally the pavement will be contracted out.

[codyg1985]

More pictures from the construction of the Northern Beltline between AL 75 and AL 79: http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2014/09/northern_beltline_construction_1.html#incart_river

[Henry]

O was looking the other day for the dashed lines that appear on google maps for this segment without success.

Perhaps it's because Google Maps doesn't recognize any roads that are under construction, only those that are completed.

[ARMOURERERIC]

O was looking the other day for the dashed lines that appear on google maps for this segment without success.

Perhaps it's because Google Maps doesn't recognize any roads that are under construction, only those that are completed.

Actually not true.  You can now find portions of the Pittsburgh Southern Beltway, New International Bridge and their approaches, The EOE complex along with the 294/57 interchange in Illinois  and many other projects that are under construction indicated on google maps as dashed lines

[Henry]

O was looking the other day for the dashed lines that appear on google maps for this segment without success.

Perhaps it's because Google Maps doesn't recognize any roads that are under construction, only those that are completed.

Actually not true.  You can now find portions of the Pittsburgh Southern Beltway, New International Bridge and their approaches, The EOE complex along with the 294/57 interchange in Illinois  and many other projects that are under construction indicated on google maps as dashed lines

Is this a recent development? I've been on Google Maps before, and I've only seen the roads that are completed and open to traffic.