Mobile-Baldwin

[rte66man]

I have a question re: the Water St ramps.  How do you "find" $26 million that has been unused for 20+years?

[froggie]

VDOT might know how...the Governor here supposedly found $1.4 billion "sitting unused"...

[Alex]

Finally got the chance to take the new alignment of Baldwin County 13 yesterday, between Alabama 181 and CR-64. The road opened earlier this year and is vastly rural, heading through Auburn University's Gulf Coast Research Center lands near a handful of ponds.



CR 13 originally ended at AL 104 from the south and dead-ended south of CR 64. The new alignment skirts a few ponds, a change from its "section-line" routing to the north and south.



How Baldwin County 13 northbound approaching Alabama 104 looked in 2006.



How Baldwin County 13 northbound at Alabama 104 appears now. The mast arm traffic signals are currently set in a stop phase for north/south CR-13 and caution phase for east/west Alabama 104.



Approaching the crossing of Fly Creek on CR-13 north.



Continuing north along the winding path of CR-13 from Fly Creek.

[Alex]

Crews near completion of link between U.S. 43, Celeste Road

Construction to extend Weaver Road to Henry David Road – creating a permanent connection between the heavily trafficked U.S. 43 and Celeste Road – is nearly halfway complete, according to the Mobile County Commission.

The project started in August, said commission spokeswoman Nancy Johnson, and should conclude by June.

Weaver Road is just south of Mount Vernon, between Coy Smith Highway and Lofton Road.

Currently, said Commission President Merceria Ludgood, Weaver Road dead-ends into a patch of "virgin forest."

"We're cutting through that virgin forest to connect to Henry Davis Road, which goes all the way to Celeste Road,"  Ludgood said. "I think it's going to be very exciting to have this alternate route. U.S. 43 is so heavily trafficked, and this gives people another option."

The project cost $3.6 million, Ludgood said.

The two-lane connector will be 3.3 miles long, Johnson said.

Ludgood said that the commission will begin another road project in January to add three turn lanes off Coy Smith Highway.

The turn lanes, she said, will be added at the entrance of Calcedeaver Elementary School, to Sam Lewis Road, and to Red Fox Road.

"This is something the community really wanted, especially the turn lane by the school,"  Ludgood said. "By putting in these turning lanes, it will make travel much easier."

The project, Ludgood said, should cost $494,000 and wrap up by April.

[Alex]

The county commissioners will simply not let the service road die, despite out cry from locals that they do not want it. Of course two of the members have land near the proposed CR-13 interchange, and developers certainly want it built...

Baldwin officials wrangle over priority road projects

BAY MINETTE – Public officials from Baldwin County met twice this week trying to save three key road projects that cannot proceed for lack of money.
baldwincountyseal.jpg

The meetings followed a deal that could stall two of the projects to partially fund the other: an extension of Baldwin 83, also known as the Foley Beach Express.

Involved in the meetings were all four county commissioners, Probate Judge Tim Russell, Daphne Mayor Fred Small and Spanish Fort Mayor Joe Bonner, as well as Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, Rep. Steve McMillan, R-Gulf Shores, Rep. Joe Faust, R-Fairhope, Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne and staff members.


Baldwin's priority list for road projects includes:

    * Extending the Beach Express to Interstate 10.
    * Widening Ala. 181 from U.S. 31 to U.S. 98.
    * Creating an interchange at Baldwin 13 and I-10.

On Friday, Russell called for a Feb. 7 meeting of all Baldwin mayors and incoming Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper. Russell said that it's critical to strike an agreement so that Cooper can work toward those goals.

Still, the week brought more bad news: The county may need to put up at least $10 million toward whichever work is chosen.

"What we are really talking about is, "˜If there is any money,'"  Commission Chairman Frank Burt said after a meeting Tuesday with state officials in Montgomery.

"If there is any, is there enough?"

Burt called the Montgomery event the "best meeting I've been to in 22 years with the Alabama Department of Transportation."

Others were less complimentary.

"It was terrible,"  said Commissioner Charles "Skip"  Gruber. "Nothing really happened at all. I think ALDOT is the same. They are not going to change. It seems like they spent the federal money, spent the county's money and now there is nothing left."

Officials across the county agreed years ago to hand over a list of the top three projects in Baldwin for state consideration. No. 1 was an extended corridor along Baldwin County 83, also known as the Foley Beach Express, linking with I-10 and eventually I-65.

Gov.-elect Robert Bentley made the roadway part of his campaign, repeatedly calling it "a priority,"  along with a new convention center at the coast.

Next on the county's priority list was widening Ala. 181 from U.S. 31 south to U.S. 98 as a commercial center took shape at I-10's Malbis exit between Spanish Fort and Daphne.

The third project was the I-10 interchange at Baldwin County 13 where other retail centers were springing up. Pittman and Commissioner Bob James both own interest in commercial property near the interchange, records show.

James said Friday that a service road proposed at the Baldwin 13 interchange would offer the only chance for restoration efforts on D'Olive Creek. He said the interchange depends on the service road, although state engineers made statements to the contrary.

Because of severe budget troubles, Burt said, the state can offer only to shift resources from the other two projects to Baldwin 83.

Even if all sides can agree, Burt said, the county could need to find at least $10 million for the Beach Express extension, estimated to cost $52 million. Burt said he would be willing to commit county reserve funds.

Burt said that Eastern Shore leaders have supported moving forward with the Baldwin County 13 interchange and its service road. Some critics of the project have threatened lawsuits, however.

State District Construction Engineer Matthew Ericksen said Wednesday that the service road is a separate issue that the county must address. He said the state can't proceed with the interchange until that issue is settled.

"The state is waiting for the county to decide if they are going to construct the service road,"  Ericksen said.

The service road will affect the design of the interchange, he said, and the sequencing of work.

[Alex]

Old Shell Road widening project nearing completion, says Mobile County Commissioner

MOBILE, Ala. -- A project to widen about two miles of Old Shell Road in west Mobile is about 80 percent complete and should be wrapped up by the end of March, according to County Commissioner Connie Hudson.

The project will widen Old Shell from two lanes to five lanes between Hillcrest and Schillinger roads, adding not only capacity, but also continuity to the corridor.

A one-mile section of Old Shell had already been widened between University Boulevard and Hillcrest Road.

The project has been under construction since early 2009, according to Hudson, but it has been in the works for much longer than that.

Kevin Harrison, director of the Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization, which coordinates funding for road projects, joked that it had been on the organization's long range plan "for decades."

The $9.8 million project is being paid through a combination of federal, state and county money, Harrison said.

The county's portion, about $2 million, is being paid for from Pay-As-You-Go program funds.

James Vorpahl, a county engineer, said the project was initially expected to cost more than $13 million. At that price, the county to would have had to kick in an additional $600,000.

The economic downturn, though, has created intense competition among contractors, he said, which has decreased the project's price tag.

[Bryant5493]

This video follows a portion of U.S. 90 in the city of Mobile, from I-165 to just west of I-65.


Be well,

Bryant

[Alex]

How annoying, they reacctivated the traffic light at Beauregard Street and Lawrence Street (first signal pictured in your video). It was in flash mode last time I drove through it. Lawrence yields little traffic these days, and many buildings around the east of Bishop State Beauregard are abandoned.

Some local (anal) roadgeek corrections/suggestions:

US 45 does not begin until the intersection with Springhill Avenue and St. Stephens Road, not too far west of Beauregard Street (despite the shield referencing US 45 on US 90 west at that intersection Broad Street south).

U.S. 90 west should reference Tillman's Corner, Theodore, or Pascagoula, Airport Boulevard splits off of it and is the road that ventures to Mobile Regional Airport.

I think you got AL 163 confused with AL 193, though neither really goes to Theodore. AL 163 goes south to Hollingers Island, ending at AL 193 prematurely. AL 193 travels between Tillman's Corner to Dauphin Island.

Enjoyed the video!

[Bryant5493]

Some local (anal) roadgeek corrections/suggestions:

US 45 does not begin until the intersection with Springhill Avenue and St. Stephens Road, not too far west of Beauregard Street (despite the shield referencing US 45 on US 90 west at that intersection Broad Street south).

U.S. 90 west should reference Tillman's Corner, Theodore, or Pascagoula, Airport Boulevard splits off of it and is the road that ventures to Mobile Regional Airport.

I think you got AL 163 confused with AL 193, though neither really goes to Theodore. AL 163 goes south to Hollingers Island, ending at AL 193 prematurely. AL 193 travels between Tillman's Corner to Dauphin Island.

Enjoyed the video!

On U.S. 45: Oh, okay. It's one of those things where ALDOT didn't remove the shield, or just neglected putting a "TO" shield above the U.S. 45 shield. (?)

On U.S. 90: I used the Mobile Regional Airport reference, as you get to Airport Blvd. first. I could've used the other control cities to augment that. Or after passing that street listed them.

On AL 163: Does this highway act as a bypass of U.S. 90 to AL 193 back to Tillmans('s) Corner around I-65?


Glad that you liked it, Alex, and thanks for your help with planning a trip along U.S. 90. :-)


Be well,

Bryant

[froggie]

On AL 163: Does this highway act as a bypass of U.S. 90 to AL 193 back to Tillmans('s) Corner around I-65?

Not really.  You could use it as a "bypass" if you're continuing south on 193.  But to use it to get back to 90 at Tillmans Corner is really out of your way...like 8 additional miles out of the way...twice the distance if you just stay on 90.

[jdb1234]

Several Mobile railroad crossings to close through Friday for repairs:

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/01/several_railroad_crossings_to.html

[Alex]

On U.S. 45: Oh, okay. It's one of those things where ALDOT didn't remove the shield, or just neglected putting a "TO" shield above the U.S. 45 shield. (?)

On U.S. 90: I used the Mobile Regional Airport reference, as you get to Airport Blvd. first. I could've used the other control cities to augment that. Or after passing that street listed them.

On AL 163: Does this highway act as a bypass of U.S. 90 to AL 193 back to Tillmans('s) Corner around I-65?


Glad that you liked it, Alex, and thanks for your help with planning a trip along U.S. 90. :-)


Be well,

Bryant

The U.S. 45 shield should have a "TO" posted above it, but they never addressed that direction in the truncation of U.S. 45, and there was no accompanying guide sign posted either. Original signage reflected the overlap of U.S. 45 & 98:



The first stretch of Airport Boulevard acts as a local connector. The road becomes the awful arterial that it is west of Florida Street, gaining significant traffic from Bel Air Mall and Interstate 65 westward. It is definitely not the best way to the airport, even though it is signed as the way to the airport. Had they not let the road be destroyed with development, it might still be functionally useful. The reality is that there is no good way to get to the airport from any direction except for perhaps from the Big Creek Lake area... With all that stated, your rational for its use as a control point is not bad, considering that U.S. 90 stays in the city limits of Mobile until after Theodore with recent annexations of Mobile.

Alabama 163 was the main road to Dauphin Island until they widened the Navigation Ship Channel to the south, removing its bridge in the process. Alabama 163 is lightly trafficked from south of the Dog River to Hollingers Island as compared with it near Interstate 10. It mostly acts as a local arterial these days. Alabama 193 was added in by 1979 and retains a few expressway elements (like frontage roads) south of Interstate 10, but is more or less an arterial north of Exit 17 due to Wal-Mart and the commercial frontage off Halls Mill Road (ancient U.S. 90).

[Alex]

City council and developers continue to try to force that service road... 

Spanish Fort continues to back road projects

SPANISH FORT, Alabama – With the passage of two resolutions, the City Council on Monday unanimously voiced its support for the proposed interchange at Interstate 10 and Baldwin County 13 and a controversial service road extension.

By a vote of 5-0 each, the council approved the measures. District 3 Councilman Joe Thomas was absent from the meeting.

The service road would extend westward from the interchange to Bass Pro Drive in the Spanish Fort Town Center shopping center.

Certified copies of the resolutions will be sent to the Alabama Department of Transportation, members of the local legislative delegation and the Baldwin County Commission, officials said. No city funding was connected to the approved measures.

"We already paid for our section (of the service road) in 2008," Mayor Joe Bonner said. "We built the frontage road when they were down there constructing the buildings and other streets through the CID (cooperative improvement district.)"

The CID was created to assist in the construction of public infrastructure in the Town Center, according City Attorney David Conner.

The service road extension would provide access to and from the U.S 90/98 and Ala. 181 corridors, according to city officials.

Prior to the vote, state Rep. Randy Davis, R-Daphne, addressed council members, saying he was there mainly to offer encouragement for the resolutions. But he also expressed concerns about plans to shift funding for the projects to the ongoing Foley Beach Express extension.

"I'm steadfast in my position that this is an important issue that needs to be addressed and that the funding is too important for our region as we continue to grow," he said.

In the past, Bonner has stated that the council has always supported the service road, believing it to be an integral part of the city's future.

The City Council of neighboring municipality Daphne voted in April to withdraw its former pledge of $1 million for the controversial $8 million service road under a firestorm of protest from area residents and environmentalists.

Under the same public pressure, most of it from residents of the TimberCreek subdivision, the Baldwin County Commission also voted that month to kill the service road project.

But, during the first commission meeting after the Nov. 2 elections, commissioners voted 3-1 to revive the service road. The Daphne council that month voted again, reaffirming its opposition to building the road.

In December, Baldwin County commissioners approved a deal with the state that would fund a $111 million Foley Beach Express extension to Interstate 10 but cancel an I-10 interchange in Daphne at Baldwin County 13.

Ever since then, several public officials have worked to revive the interchange and, with it, the service road – including Bonner, Davis, and Commissioner Bob James.

[Alex]

Noted today that the first Interstate 65 shield, done in 1958 MUTCD specs, was replaced with a standard 1970 MUTCD spec based shield...

Also noted all of the signals along Spring Hill Avenue / Zeigler Boulevard from McGregor Road to Cody Road were replaced with either Eagle Mark IV's or McCains (black fronts/yellow backs). The two Eagle flatbacks at McGregor Avenue are now gone (they may be available for purchase at the City Electric Department).



Took Old Shell Road and widening of the road is still underway. Probably will be spring for its completion (as scheduled). A signal was added to Foreman Road and mast-arm assemblies are going up at Cody Road.

[jdb1234]

Road projects to close 2 Mobile thoroughfares:

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/road_projects_to_close_2_mobil.html

[Alex]

Another article on a series of meetings/discussions over the developer-supported Service Road north of Interstate 10 in Spanish Fort...

Controversial Baldwin County service road loses support of state representative

[Alex]

Today in history: Airport Boulevard gets named; the dangers of hand-cranked autos

Wednesday, February 22, 1961:

"The names of part of Old Government Street and Grant Street were changed to Airport Boulevard Tuesday by the City Commission.

"The route, a main artery to Bates Field, was changed to make finding the municipal airport simpler for strangers, the commissioners said."

[Alex]

The widening is south of Cottage Hill Road to Three Notch Kroner Road. The article does not mention much of anything else, such as a time table, when it may start, etc.

Mobile County to use eminent domain for Schillinger Road expansion

The Mobile County Commission is on the verge of using eminent domain to acquire a pair of properties that officials say they need in order to complete a widening project on Schillinger Road.

[Alex]

Long needed widening will push the six lane section of Interstate 10 westward, but a 50 mph work zone for 2.5 years is crummy...

Work to add lanes to Interstate 10 under way

MOBILE, Alabama -- A $26.4 million Alabama Department of Transportation project to add lanes on Interstate 10 west of Mobile began this week, officials said today in a news release.

The project will add one lane in each direction, officials said. The new lanes will span 3.8 miles of I-10 from Halls Mill Creek (milepost 18.48) to Carol Plantation Road (milepost 14.65) in Theodore, officials said.The project is scheduled for completion by August 2013, officials said.

ALDOT's construction crews will close lanes only during nighttime hours between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. when interstate traffic volumes are typically lowest, offcials said. Construction crews will add additional lanes in the median and resurface existing lanes. The project will also replace the bridge at the U.S. 90 interchange, officials said.

A reduced speed limit of 50 mph is in effect throughout the work zone. Motorists should observe work-zone speed limits and other work-zone signs, and use extreme caution in this area. State troopers will control traffic and enforce speed limits, officials said.

[jdb1234]

State backs Baldwin Beach Express project with toll option:

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/03/state_backs_baldwin_beach_expr.html

[Alex]

Beach Express fee could take a toll on tourism, officials say

BAY MINETTE, Alabama – A road construction deal announced by Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper last week didn't please tourist town officials, but County Commission Chairman Frank Burt called the offer "a win."

Debate about three projects listed by the county as priority roadwork started in December when Burt told commissioners he had negotiated a deal with state transportation officials.

At countywide meetings years ago, officials agreed that the number one priority was the extension of Baldwin County 83 to link the Foley Beach Express with Interstate 10 and ultimately I-65 with the new roadway dubbed the "Baldwin Beach Express." Next on the list was the widening of Ala. 181 and last was an I-10 interchange at Baldwin County 13.

Work on the Express and Ala. 181 began in 2008 and 2009, respectively, and the Baldwin 13 interchange was in the engineering phase last year when controversy erupted over renewed efforts to build a service road. In November, the new County Commission reversed the previous administration's decision and revived the project, which would link to the proposed interchange. Officials said last month that the service road was "off the table" due to public opposition and lack of local funding though no official commission vote has happened.

Burt said in December that he became aware state funding would be drastically reduced and negotiated a deal with state officials to "lock in" money for continued work on the Baldwin Beach Express. Part of the deal, however, was moving money from the two other projects on the list.

Commissioners voted to take the deal in January before the new state administration took over, but a letter from the Alabama Department of Transportation finalizing the agreement never arrived. Cooper told local officials in a meeting in February he would honor the agreement if they could agree on the priority work. He told them the state did not have the money to pay for all the planned roadwork.

In fact, initial estimates indicated that all the money available for the three projects in Baldwin would fall about $12 million short of paying for the expressway project alone.

In the meeting last week, Cooper told Burt he would agree to "find" state money to cover the shortfall and work would continue on the Beach Express as a state priority. But, he told officials, charging a toll for motorists using the roadway would be an option given the dire funding situation in the state.

That would mean motorists using the route from I-10 southward could pay two tolls – one for the road and another for the bridge at the Intracoastal Waterway. County officials are currently studying the feasibility of building a northern extension linking to I-65 funded by a toll as well.

Local officials had expressed anger when the state's estimated cost of the expressway drastically increased without explanation after U.S. congressmen had secured millions to pay for the construction.

Cooper acknowledged the discrepancy in estimating, calling it "our mystery."

Cooper left open the possibility of modifying plans if other funding becomes available – such as any payment from BP PLC to the state. But, he said, he would not budget dependent on money that may not be available for general use.

"The president has made a bold transportation proposal," Cooper said, "but there is no specified funding. We are looking at federal transportation funding next year at about 75 percent of what we have been getting. New lanes, new roads in our state will be getting more scarce." He said Alabama would be forced to use tolls as a way to pay for construction.

If tolling is part of the funding for the expressway in Baldwin, he said, the state would take on maintenance of the roadway. He didn't rule out possible public-private partnerships in some road construction in the future.

When Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon and Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft balked at the toll idea last week, Cooper quickly told them, "if you don't want us to build the road, we won't build it."

For people in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, the mayors said, a toll would all but negate the benefits of a new north-south route.

"If you are putting an additional toll on (the Baldwin Beach Express) where there is already an issue with the $3.50 bridge toll, it is an issue we need to explore," Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon said Friday. "I wasn't saying in the meeting it was a deal killer – just that we need to assess the amount of any toll and consider our options."

Burt told Cooper the county wants the road built, but would like to be able to avoid tolling if possible. Burt said local leaders would try to come up with more money if it becomes apparent tolling is more likely.

According to state plans, work on the Beach Express section from Baldwin County 32 to U.S. 90 is expected to start in October, according to state plans.

The expressway I-10 interchange would be done by September 2012 about two to three months after the 32-to-90 section is completed, officials said.

[Alex]

Officials working on traffic fixes for Mobile's Airport Boulevard

MOBILE, Alabama -- Two projects are in the works to loosen up traffic on one of Mobile's most frequently congested thoroughfares, officials said.

The first plan to make Airport Boulevard less of a headache – retiming and coordinating some of the traffic signals – is almost ready to go, said Vince Calametti, chief engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation's 9th Division.

The second, more ambitious, project calls for the reconfiguring of major intersections on the street. That initiative is still in its infancy.

The plan to retime the lights and link them together via radio poles has been on the drawing board for a while.

Bill Metzger, who recently retired from the city after running its traffic-engineering office for nearly two decades, said it's been in the works for at least three years.

The first leg of the project required the city to construct a network of radio towers stretching across the city from Schillinger Road to traffic-engineering headquarters south of Virginia Street, Metzger said.

Those towers are already up and running.

The second leg will link traffic signals along Airport Boulevard from Cody Road to Old Government Street at the Loop, Metzger said. Cameras, where they don't already exist, will be installed at the intersections to replace traffic sensors underneath the road.

Timing lights

Traffic signals between McGregor and Sage avenues were already pretty well timed, Metzger said, but the lights along Airport Boulevard on either side of that corridor currently run in complete isolation.

"If you manage to hit two lights in a row it's shear luck,"  he said.

Eventually, the system will allow the synchronized signals to work in concert and adapt to traffic conditions, Metzger said. For example, if there is a wreck causing vehicles to stack up on Airport, the signals will automatically adjust their timing to increase the green light cycles to relieve the congestion.

Metzger said the city would ultimately be able to expand the network and link all 300 or so of Mobile's signaled intersections into one coordinated grid.

Calametti said the project to improve the 15 intersections along Airport would cost about $290,000 and should be finished by the end of the summer.

Federal grant money is paying for most of the project, officials said.

Jennifer White, Metzger's successor, said that a traffic-engineering firm has also come up with a new timing formula for the lights that should help move traffic more efficiently on Airport. Gains will probably be incremental at best, though, she said.

"I wouldn't expect miracles. It's Airport Boulevard, and it's pretty much at capacity,"  she said.

Reconfiguration a must

In order to make significant improvements, the street must be reconfigured, White said.

The Mobile Metropolitan Planning Organization is helping to fund a $200,000 project to see how that might be done, said Kevin Harrison, the organization's director.

Volkert & Associates Inc., an engineering consultant, is drawing up new configurations for intersections on Airport Boulevard from Snow Road to Government Street, including possible improvements at University Boulevard, Schillinger Road, McGregor and Sage avenues, said David Webber a vice president with the firm.

Over the next few months the firm will hold meetings with business owners, government traffic engineers and the general public so they can have input into which configurations they think will work best, Webber said.

Once the input is taken into consideration, Volkert will make recommendations as to which projects are appropriate to pursue, he said.

The firm decided to break the problems on Airport down by intersection in order to make the undertaking more financially feasible, Webber said.

It's unlikely that the city or ALDOT would be able to come up with $600 million to address the entire length of Airport Boulevard, he said, but they might be able to chip away at the problem in smaller chunks.

Harrison said that once the projects are chosen they would be added to the MPO's long-range plan so they can be eligible for federal funding.

Realistically, he said, it will probably be years before shovels hit the pavement. 

[Bryant5493]

I-165 South (Mobile County, Alabama):

Be well,

Bryant

[Alex]

Resurrected service road headed for dead end?

DAPHNE, Alabama – Two Baldwin County commissioners said they are ready for the controversial service road issue to be dead once and for all.

Nearly a year after commissioners voted to stop work on the project that would have connected Bass Pro Shops with the Eastern Shore Centre, the once-resurrected project appears to be headed for another dead end, officials said. Officials said the county had spent $700,000 on the project in planning, engineering and studies.

"If I need to I'll make the motion,"  said Commissioner Charles "Skip"  Gruber last week in an interview. "I'd like to keep permits in place to do watershed restoration work, but that road issue ought to be over with. We don't have the money for it, and Daphne does not want it. It's a dead issue."

Commissioner Tucker Dorsey said he would make the motion eliminating the project at the next regular meeting.

Commission Chairman Frank Burt said state and county officials are focused on Baldwin 83, also known as the Baldwin Beach Express, linking the Foley Beach Express to I-10. Money from a proposed interchange at Baldwin 13 shifted to the expressway project, and the county had no money to pursue the service road, Burt said.

[US71]

I-165 South (Mobile County, Alabama):

I found that intersection at the bottom of 165 to be a little tricky when I was there a couple weeks ago. I missed the turn for 90 west and had to double back .