Interstate 685

[Henry]

Looks like the first part of the long-planned I-85 extension is finally moving forward:

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=14077583

According to the article (courtesy of WSFA-TV in Montgomery), both I-85 and I-685 will share the same 14-mile section in the city, from I-65 to a new southern bypass, onto which I-85 will eventually be rerouted. So unlike in Spartanburg and Greensboro, at least the former I-85 will still be signed as an Interstate, albeit a 3di.

[Grzrd]

Here is a link to AASHTO's approval pending FHWA approval of Alabama's applications for I-85 and I-685:
http://www.transportation.org/sites/route/docs/10-29-2010%20USRN%20Minutes%20Biloxi,%20MS.pdf

I assume FHWA approval would come when construction on the Montgomery Outer Loop is further along.

EDIT

I'm surprised AASHTO granted "pending approval" to the section of the I-85 extension from I-65 to I-59 near Cuba, AL.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I wish that once the interstate is extended to I-59 that it be renamed I-20 to Atlanta, have i-22 assume 20's segment from Birmingham to Atlanta, have 20 and 85 concurrent from Atlant  to Columbus with 85 going south at that point.  this could divert a decent amount of NO/Atlanta bound traffic off the 59/20 overlap, plus "clean up" the numbering grid a bit.

[Alex]

Also mentioned at https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=5555.msg122519#msg122519 and https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=5555.msg125405#msg125405

[Beltway]

I assume FHWA approval would come when construction on the Montgomery Outer Loop is further along.

I'm surprised AASHTO granted "pending approval" to the section of the I-85 extension from I-65 to I-59 near Cuba, AL.

The Montgomery Outer Loop seems a worthwhile project, but I don't see the need for an Interstate highway from I-65 to I-59 near Cuba, AL.  Over 80% of the US-80 corridor has already been upgraded to 4-lane divided, and that type of highway for the corridor should suffice.

[brownpelican]

I wish that once the interstate is extended to I-59 that it be renamed I-20 to Atlanta, have i-22 assume 20's segment from Birmingham to Atlanta, have 20 and 85 concurrent from Atlant  to Columbus with 85 going south at that point.  this could divert a decent amount of NO/Atlanta bound traffic off the 59/20 overlap, plus "clean up" the numbering grid a bit.

Why have I-85, a major two-digit interstate...end at Columbus? I don't get it. A decent amount of traffic from New Orleans already uses the Mobile-Montgomery-Atlanta route in addition to Meridian-Birmingham-Atlanta.

[ARMOURERERIC]

I would save the 85 designation for going south via Dothan

[Daniel Fiddler]

I think I-22 should be extended southeast through Auburn, Columbus, Albany, Tifton, and Waycross to Jacksonville personally.

[BamaZeus]

yeah, realistically, the 280 corridor is a far larger problem than repurposing US 80 as an interstate west of Montgomery.  Either that or spend the money to get an interstate built from Florence to Tuscaloosa to Mobile.  That would at least serve the purpose of hurricane evacuation while also serving the "Black Belt" counties.

[Daniel Fiddler]

an interstate built from Florence to Tuscaloosa to Mobile.

That already is in the works, as a toll road.  Its northern terminus is actually going to be at Highway 43 just south of the Tennessee border.  I'm actually not overly ecstatic about that road, however.  If I were to rank the most needed interstates in the Southeast, they would be:

#1.  I-24 in downtown Chattanooga --> Soddy-Daisy --> Dunlap --> Sparta --> Cookeville --> Celina --> Tompkinsville --> Glasgow -->  I-65 Cave City (overlaying much of Corridor J):  Shortens Chattanooga to Louisville distance (which is a segment of a MAJOR truck route) by 60 to 75 miles, relieves congestion through Nashville, I-24 east of Murfreesboro, and I-65 north of Goodlettsville

#2.  Chattanooga beltway on south, east, and north sides, from the I-24 / I-59 interchange through Chickamauga, Ringgold, and Collegedale to Highway 27 / Corridor J in Soddy-Daisy:  Relieves congestion in the city that has been ranked the most congested per lane mile for trucks

#3.  I-75 Dalton --> Chatsworth -->  Ellijay -->  Dahlonega -->  Toccoa -->  Anderson --> Laurens --> Columbia --> Sumter --> Myrtle Beach:  The Dalton to Anderson section especially will give Chattanooga to Greenville or vice-versa traffic an alternative to traveling down into metropolitan Atlanta and using the northern arc of I-285, and give communities that currently only a good road to the south an east-west route.  The Anderson to Laurens route (which the new terrain segment will be roughly 2 or 3 miles south of highways 8 and 418, the rest following interstates 85 and 385)  will connect the westernmost principle city of the Greenville / Spartanburg / Anderson CSA (the largest CSA) in the state better to the capital.  And the Columbia to Myrtle Beach segment will provide an additional route into and out of Myrtle Beach which would serve as a great hurricane evacuation route if needed.

#4.  Birmingham --> Auburn --> Columbus --> Albany --> Tifton --> Waycross --> Jacksonville:  Memphis is one of the nation's most important distribution centers, and Florida has 19 million population, so even if there were nothing else (which there is) this should be obvious

#5.  Florence -->  Rockingham -->  Asheboro -->  Greensboro (currently under construction as I-73):  It's already 60% complete, and the Greensboro / Winston-Salem area has grown quite large over the past couple decades and needs a better connection to the south

But even if we were limiting it to just Alabama (or passing through Alabama), I could think of two that would be better than the Mobile --> Tuscaloosa --> Florence, and those two would be:

#1.  Montgomery --> Troy --> Dothan --> Panama City

#2.  Memphis --> Corinth -->  Florence --> Decatur --> Huntsville --> Fort Payne -->  Rome --> Cartersville

[codyg1985]

I know I am bumping this thread, but ALDOT is planning on letting the base, pave, and signage contract this month for the first part of the Montgomery Outer Loop from I-85 south to AL 110. Eventually, once the loop is finished to I-65, the MOL will become I-85, and existing I-85 inside the loop will be redesignated as I-685.

Here are some signs from the plans. Notice the use of one arrow per lane, which is a first in Alabama. Temporarily, the road will be signed as AL 108, and the control city will be "Pike Road,", but the signage plans include the eventual signs for I-685 once the entire loop is finished. I assume the temporary signs will be installed as separate panels over the I-685 ones for now.

Initial signage:


Signage once MOL is finished:

[FLRoads]

From those plans it looks like when the outer loop is complete that I-85 south will go from Exit 15 to Exit 22, or are these going to be changed once I-85 takes over for AL 108? And what is that extension going north from the I-85/MOL interchange? It's shown on the cover sheet.

[codyg1985]

From those plans it looks like when the outer loop is complete that I-85 south will go from Exit 15 to Exit 22, or are these going to be changed once I-85 takes over for AL 108? And what is that extension going north from the I-85/MOL interchange? It's shown on the cover sheet.

I guess they will renumber all of the exits along I-85 to reflect the new mileage once the loop is finished, but I do wonder why they didn't include the new exit number on the I-685/I-85 panels?

I think the extension is a proposal to build the loop back north to tie in with I-65 somewhere near Prattville. I don't know if that is a done deal, though.

[Strider]

202 pages for the MOL plans.. whoa. do you know which page does these signs come from?

[ARMOURERERIC]

Please refresh my memory:  I parr of the intent with the project to provide a way for 85 to continue west from Montgomery in the far future?

[Strider]

Yes. To Cuba, AL to meet up with I-20/59

[ARMOURERERIC]

Are any segments to bring that about even on the drawing board yet?

[Strider]

I know there are a few websites showing that, but I'm not familiar with it. I am sure someone will answer your question.

[Tom958]

I wish they'd sigh I-685 as east-west. 

[froggie]

The main I-85 extension website has been taken down.  I do not know if that means the EIS was completed or if the project was shelved.  The Draft EIS was completed in 2010.  And except for Preliminary Engineering on a stretch of the Montgomery Outer Loop, there are no projects related to any I-85 extension in ALDOT's Draft 5 Year Plan.

[ARMOURERERIC]

You know, I've stated this here before, if 85 is ever extended to Cuba.  I think a major renumbering needs to take place:

20:  Cuba-Montgomery-Columbus-Atlanta
22:  Memphis-Birmingham-Atlanta
85:  Atlanta-Columbus-Dothan-I-10

Mostly to pull some thru traffic off of 59/20

[WashuOtaku]

I wish they'd sigh I-685 as east-west. 

I get why you would want it east-west, but it makes sense to simply keep it north-south; considering it's an odd-digit interstate, it was originally north-south and it rolls right into I-85, which is still north-south.

[Charles2]

I'm not sure what the exact route of a proposed I-85 extension west of Montgomery would be, but does anyone else find the irony that in order for I-85 south to connect Montgomery with Selma, it will have to travel in a NNW trajectory?

[richllewis]

if this extension comes to pass those who are Going from Meridian to Atlanta will have their choice: Either take I-85 to the Airport and then downtown or Take I-20 directly downtown. Really, I think the extension of I-85 to I-20-59 is highly redundant. Why do we need two Interstates that goes to the same place? One road to Atlanta is enough.

[WashuOtaku]

if this extension comes to pass those who are Going from Meridian to Atlanta will have their choice: Either take I-85 to the Airport and then downtown or Take I-20 directly downtown. Really, I think the extension of I-85 to I-20-59 is highly redundant. Why do we need two Interstates that goes to the same place? One road to Atlanta is enough.

LOL, I don't think the people of Alabama care if you can't decide which interstate to take to Atlanta, assuming they extend I-85 through Selma to I-20.  It would be more like pick your poison: Birmingham or Montgomery.