Mobile-Baldwin

[jdb1234]

I-65 repaving set to begin in August, last 15 months:

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/07/i-65_repaving_set_to_begin_in.html

[codyg1985]

I hope that the November 2012 completion date is a typo.

[Alex]

Noted new mast-arm signal installations at the intersection of Old Shell Road and the entrance to the University of South Alabama Mitchell Center today. Also noticed several replaced signals throughout Mobile, such as those at Old Shell and Hillcrest Road.

The completed Old Shell Road resulted in the permanent closure of Dickens Ferry Road between Foreman Road and Old Shell itself. The road simply dead ends just beyond its former split.



Had to make a special stop for this, the Clearview overhead that killed the last button copy Interstate 10 sign in Alabama. Oddly, they retained the original lighting fixtures (usually those are removed with a sign is replaced in Alabama).

[brownpelican]

And it STILL says "Pascagoula". 

[Alex]

Traffic light study approved for U.S. 98, Baldwin County Road 91

BAY MINETTE, Ala. – A traffic light study has been endorsed by the Baldwin County Commission to determine if signals are needed at U.S. Highway 98 and County Road 91.

If the study indicates the signals are needed, the $100,000 installation cost will be shared by the Baldwin County Commission and the Alabama Department of Transportation.

County Maintenance Engineer Frank Lundy said county residents have requested the signal on the state right-of-way road maintained by the state.

The study will include traffic counts, analyzing turning movements and reviewing accident history, Lundy said.

According to county records, the normal cost for installing a traffic signal south of Interstate 10 is $100,000 because mast arms are required.

"Once this data is collected and studied, a determination will be made as to whether a signal is actually warranted,"  Lundy said.

[Alex]

Feds award $4 million for improvements to I-10 corridor in Mobile, Baldwin counties

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced $4 million in grants to improve stretches of Interstate 10 in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

The grants, $2 million each for 2 projects, represent the bulk of the $5.4 federal roads allocation announced for Alabama.

According to federal and state transportation officials, the projects entail:

    * Resurfacing of I-10 from about 1 mile west of the Interstate 65 interchange to the Water Street exit in Mobile.
    * Widening of the westbound I-10 bridge, as well as resurfacing of the interstate from the eastern end of the Bayway bridge to near the Ala. 59 exit north of Loxley in Baldwin County.

"Interstate 10 is one of America's most important east-west interstate corridors," said Alabama Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Harris. "You need to do maintenance on it in order to keep it in good, reliable condition."

Harris said the work will cost well above the $2 million in grants made available for each project Wednesday. The Mobile-area project is estimated to cost $22.4 million; the Baldwin work is expected to total about $15.5 million.

The department will need more federal money to undertake the work and cannot give estimates on when the projects might start or finish until more is known about available funding, according to Harris.

A news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday said the $5.4 million in grants to Alabama will help fund repairs to "the state's 2 highest-priority road projects," as well as provide much-needed jobs.

"Transportation investments like these will create jobs and improve the quality of life for Alabama residents as well as strengthen the state's economy," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a written statement. "The demand from the states for these funds shows just how critical the need is for infrastructure investment."

[Alex]

Federal government forcing Mobile to redesign Zeigler Boulevard to accommodate cycling

Preliminary plans for the project, which would widen Zeigler Boulevard in two phases from Forest Hill Drive to Schillinger Road, have been on the books since the early 2000s.

The city had opted not to include bike lanes, even though its own green-space plan calls for such lanes along much of the section of Zeigler Boulevard that's set to be overhauled.

Amberger said the project was estimated to cost about $11 million for each phase. Adding the bike lanes could increase that by 10 percent, he said.

The federal government is responsible for 80 percent of the total cost, while Mobile must provide a 20 percent match, he said.

Had the Highway Administration not rejected the environmental document, construction crews might have been able to start work in late 2013, according to Don Powell, planning engineer for the Mobile division of the Alabama Department of Transportation.

[Alex]

There was a 15-mile backup along Interstate 10 west from Exit 44 to Exit 30, so we opted to take alternate routes including County Road 64 to County Road 83 to view progress of the Baldwin Beach Express construction.



Four-laning well underway along County Road 83 southward from the new alignment linking CR 83 to CR 64.



Stopped on County Road 64 and looked south at the new alignment of the Baldwin Beach Express. Pavement is already down for the future southbound carriageway, grading is underway for the northbound roadway. No work was present north of County Road 64.

[Alex]

This is the first I have heard of this proposal and I do not know if it is directly related to the often talked about Mobile to Florence, Alabama freeway proposal. Seems to be something entirely different...

300-mile road to start in Orange Beach? Not exactly

ORANGE BEACH, AL. -- A York, Pa., company issued a release today announcing the plans to build a new "300-mile rail and road transportation complex from the vicinity of Orange Beach to the Tennessee state line."

The company's release also says "the unprecedented project will begin development in the fall of 2012 with the construction of a four-lane limited access toll road from Orange Beach, Ala., to the area of Loretto, Tenn."

Well, not exactly.

While the Island was abuzz for a while Tuesday morning after the release, the actual southern end of the ambitious project is slated to be in Mobile.

"It's definitely going to be in the port of Mobile,"  spokesperson Amanda Flontek of Ameri-Metro said via phone Tuesday morning. "It will be three hundred miles of road. It's going to go from the port, Mobile, to the top of Alabama."

The entire project is reported to cost $7 billion, all privately funded, according the company's release.

Ameri-Metro is partnering with Alabama Toll Facilities, a private company that Ameri-Metro president Shah Mathias says is a nonprofit, formed in Cullman in 1993 which and also received a resolution of support from the state legislature for this project in 2007.

"The president of the company has been working on this for about eight years now and in the last two years it's really gotten into the development phase where they are getting all the engineering and everything behind it and funding,"  Flontek said. "Right now we're working with the Black Belt Commission and the Economic Development Association to get the land and they're kind of telling us where the road can go."

Mathias said today the project will be completely privately funded and will go back to the state "for no consideration"  once the debt is paid.

It is also much more than a road, the company release said. According to the release, "in 2014, Ameri-Metro will begin construction of an inland port in central Alabama, consisting of a 4,000-acre site and 19-million square feet of storage space. In addition, the project will include the nation's largest freight and passenger airport, including four 18,000-foot runways to accommodate both Boeing Dream Liners and A380 airbuses. At present, no other airport in the nation provides such an extensive runway system."

Mathias also said the inland port will include the "Grand Central Station of the South — a 60,000-square-foot passenger and freight train station, with a complex including a 100,000-square-foot evacuation center and a fire, police, and ambulance station. The French Victorian structure will include boutique shops and a luxury hotel."

[codyg1985]

^ I think I smell a rat. Where is the demand for the "Grand Central Station of the South"? Also, why are 18,000 ft runways needed? Are they landing the Space Shuttle? For what it's worth, here is their website: http://ameri-metro.com/. The Alabama project can be found here: http://ameri-metro.com/projects/current-projects

I guess it would be related to the West Alabama Freeway/Tollway that has been proposed for decades. Still, I don't see what use this would have, especially at the northern end, if all of a sudden once you cross into Tennessee you are dumped onto what I assume would be US 43. To work I believe it would need to go farther north and end at either I-65, I-24, or even I-57.

I wonder why this isn't proposed for more heavily traveled corridors, such as I-70 in the midwest or I-81.

[Alex]

Robertsdale to address Alabama 59 naming

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama – City officials want to address problems with street names and numbers that have been confusing residents and visitors on Ala. 59 for more than 20 years.

City Council members said Monday that they plan to discuss a system to name the two sections of the highway to establish where businesses are located on the northbound or southbound section of the road.

Between Illinois Street to the north and Hammond Street to the south, Ala. 59 splits into two sections of two-lane highway about one block apart as the road extends through downtown Robertsdale. The highway was divided when Ala. 59 was widened to four lanes in the 1980s, Greg Smith, city engineer, said.

The northbound lanes were extended along what had been a section of Chicago Street. The southbound lanes and the rest of Ala. 59 are on what is designated Milwaukee Street.

A check of addresses along the highway found that property owners use a variety of street names, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Alabama Highway 59, Highway 59 or just 59, said David Kilcrease, city building inspector, zoning enforcement officer and safety coordinator.

"It would clarify, just to do north and south, it would just make it more easy just for advertising purposes for people who are advertising," Kilcrease said. "We just want to try to clear it up."

Using north and south designations, however, could confuse drivers, Police Chief Brad Kendrick said. He said people looking for locations might think that Ala. 59 South addresses are south of Ala. 104 or another major street.

"I would suggest if you're going to do 59, I would put northbound or southbound and that way you would know it would be where the split's located. It seems like to me that would be easier, but I know that's going to make a long sign also," Kendrick said. "If it said 59 Northbound, you would know that you would be on the old Chicago Street and if it was 59 Southbound, you would know you would be on Milwaukee."

Another possible solution would be to use the Chicago Street designation for northbound traffic and to use Ala. 59 for southbound addresses and the rest of the highway through the city, officials said.

Mayor Charles Murphy said the council would discuss addressing plans at the city's next work session on Oct. 3.

[Alex]

^ I think I smell a rat. Where is the demand for the "Grand Central Station of the South"? Also, why are 18,000 ft runways needed? Are they landing the Space Shuttle? For what it's worth, here is their website: http://ameri-metro.com/. The Alabama project can be found here: http://ameri-metro.com/projects/current-projects

I guess it would be related to the West Alabama Freeway/Tollway that has been proposed for decades. Still, I don't see what use this would have, especially at the northern end, if all of a sudden once you cross into Tennessee you are dumped onto what I assume would be US 43. To work I believe it would need to go farther north and end at either I-65, I-24, or even I-57.

I wonder why this isn't proposed for more heavily traveled corridors, such as I-70 in the midwest or I-81.

Another article on the proposed highway/rail line surfaced this morning. Work to start next year with a completion in five years, what are they smoking? 

Toll road leader says $7 billion project won't need public money

Mathias said the corridor would roughly parallel U.S. 43 through the west side of the state. Highway improvements along that general route had previously been touted as a way to jump-start the economy of depressed rural counties.

Ameri-Metro said it would start work next year and complete the route within five years.

Mathias said the key to the strategy is a giant airport and inland port that will build enough traffic to pay for the road. The company would fund the project by selling bonds, then operate the route until the bonds were paid off and hand it over to the state, he said.

"We are not asking for the federal government, the state or anybody else to give us any money,"  Mathias said.

He said the toll levels would be set later.

[codyg1985]

Mathias said the corridor would roughly parallel U.S. 43 through the west side of the state.

Mathias said the key to the strategy is a giant airport and inland port that will build enough traffic to pay for the road.

Mathias would only say he was eyeing a location around Birmingham or Montgomery for the port, which would also include an airport with four runways, each 18,000 feet long.

^ Another problem and inconsistency here: US 43 goes nowhere near Birmingham or Montgomery, and from what I thought the airport/inland port would be located on the toll road.

[Anthony_JK]

Sorry, but I'm calling BS on this one.

A nondescript private company that no one has even heard of, all of a sudden announces that they have $7 billion in funds to build a major tollway across Alabama, without any federal aid?? Without going through the required NEPA environmental and public involvement process?? And, a guaranteed tollway AND airport within 7 years???

Yeah, right. Not even the Trans-Texas Corridor made promises like that.

If they were that legit, then Bobby Jindal would have secured them to build I-49 South in Louisiana.

I detect the distinct odor of dead rat in this air.


Anthony

[agentsteel53]

A nondescript private company that no one has even heard of, all of a sudden announces that they have $7 billion in funds to build a major tollway across Alabama, without any federal aid?? Without going through the required NEPA environmental and public involvement process?? And, a guaranteed tollway AND airport within 7 years???

signature, or brains?

[codyg1985]

Now the truth is coming out that the Alabama Toll Road proposal is a sham....

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/09/filing_warns_toll_road_develop.html

The filing with federal securities regulators also says that Ameri-Metro was so thinly capitalized as of July 31, 2010, that its auditor warned that it was in danger of going out of business. At that time, Ameri-Metro's liabilities of $1.58 million outweighed its assets of $1.49 million.
The filing indicates that the company's main asset was 50 acres of land, and that any shares sold were likely to trade over the counter, not on a major exchange. The filing said shares could price below $5, which would mean it would be a "penny stock," subject to more restrictive federal rules.

Also Wednesday, Ameri-Metro Chief Executive Officer Shah Mathias, a Pennsylvania real estate developer and financier, said he had pleaded guilty to a sex crime in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania state records show he is registered as a sex offender because of unlawful contact or communication with a minor.

[FLRoads]

Yeah, I started looking into this further last night but got off onto something else. I did find a supposed Google+ account for this guy and it had a story that claimed he came from Pakistan. Plus when I looked over the website, it looked somewhat legitimate, but there was no careers section anywhere, and most businesses now days have a career section on their website, even if they are not hiring. The article was quoted as having the toll road start at the Port of Mobile. Well, I know that wouldn't happen as where would you construct the facility through Mobile?? Use existing routes?? There is no way that the city would allow a new highway built near downtown as they do not even want a new Interstate 10 bridge being built as it would obstruct their downtown. And in looking at their plans for their proposed freight station/airport showed the toll road as being 8 lanes (4 lanes in each direction of course) in that vicinity. Plus, if it is going to be built along the U.S. 43 corridor, then there really wouldn't be any need for an 8-lane facility along any stretch of it sans maybe the extreme southern portion near Mobile...

[Alex]

Daphne eyes annexing new section of Alabama 181 to spur development

DAPHNE, Alabama – A short stretch of highway could have long-run implications.

A plan to annex a portion of the recently expanded Ala. 181 into Daphne's corporate limits could facilitate further development on the east side of the city limits, officials said.

A proposal set for discussion during a work session next month would bring a roughly 3.5-mile portion of the highway – from Lawson Road to Baldwin County 64 – into the city limits.

The state has petitioned the city to annex the road, according to Councilman John Lake.

Property on either side of the road would not be annexed, though city officials said they're eyeing those areas for potential future development.

A few weeks ago, four-lane traffic opened on Ala. 181 between U.S. 90 and Baldwin County 64, as part of a two-year, $12.7 million project, said Vince Calametti, director of the Mobile office of the Alabama Department of Transportation.

That section was part of a three-phase undertaking to widen a 15-mile stretch of the highway – from U.S. 31 in Spanish Fort to U.S. 98 west of Weeks Bay – to four lanes.

Construction on the next stage, widening Ala. 181 from Baldwin County 64 to Ala. 104, is about two years away, Calametti said.

[Alex]

Transportation related, so I figured I would share it. 

New, $72 million railroad bridge to be installed over Mobile River

A $72 million railroad bridge will be installed over the Mobile River starting Sunday, the final stage of a project that has been advocated by waterway users for more than 20 years.

The current CSX Corp. bridge – known as 14-mile bridge – was built in 1927 and swings on a pivot installed in the middle of the river, giving commercial barges only 135 feet on either side to pass.

The new vertical-lift bridge will rise high enough to allow 60 feet of vertical clearance. And without the old pivot in the middle of the river, barges will have 300 feet to pass.

[Alex]

Robertsdale City Council approves grant to install LED lights along Highway 59

The Robertsdale City Council approved a pair of measures at its council meeting Monday to replace 120 incandescent street lights along Highway 59 from Central Baldwin Middle School to County Road 48 with new LED energy-efficient light fixtures.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve two resolutions at Monday night's council meeting accepting a $100,000 grant.

According to Smith, the annual cost of power is $120.90 and estimated bulb life is an average of 22,000 hours for each of the existing incandescent fixtures. For one of the new LED fixtures, the annual cost of power is approximately $39 and estimated bulb life is 50,000 hours.

[Alex]

Schillinger Road widening continues as Mobile County puts latest construction job up for bid

MOBILE, Alabama -- Mobile County's plan to improve an urban loop around the city of Mobile took another step forward Monday as the County Commission opened bids to widen Schillinger Road.

However, construction can't begin until the Mobile County Water, Sewer and Fire Protection Authority moves one of its waterlines that runs in the right of way, said Bryan Kegley, assistant county engineer.

The utility has already bid the estimated $400,000 project but hasn't awarded it to a contractor because it doesn't have enough money to pay for it right now, Kegley said.

A representative of the utility did not return calls for comment Monday.

The loop project has been under way for years, and several sections of road have already been widened or, in the case of a small section south of Interstate 10, newly created. When it's complete, it will create an arc around Mobile via Alabama 158 to the north, Schillinger Road to the west and Theodore Dawes Road to the south.

The majority of the loop will be four or five lanes wide.

The section of Schillinger Road that was opened for bid Monday runs from Old Pascagoula Road to Three Notch Road. The project, expected to cost about $5 million, is one of five sections of Schillinger that remain to be widened, Kegley said.

The southern stretch, which includes the latest project to be bid, runs from Old Pascagoula to Cottage Hill Road. The remaining two phases in that corridor will cost about $10 million to $12 million each and will be funded through the county's Pay-As-You-Go program, Kegley said. They should be finished sometime in 2015, he said.

A second corridor of future widening on Schillinger runs from Lott Road to Howell's Ferry Road. Plans for those widening projects are still in the engineering phase, Kegley said.

"When those are finished, you'll have yourself a completed urban loop," Kegley said.

Although it will provide additional lanes for those trying to skirt Mobile's western edge, motorists should still expect frequent stops. Only the Alabama 158 section of the loop is a limited access highway.

As Schillinger is widened, it will draw more and more cars, which will bring more development, Kegley said. Those developers will then petition the county for stoplights, he said.

Limited access highways require much more right of way than traditional curb-and-gutter streets, Kegley said.

By the time the widening of Schillinger Road began, large sections of it were already developed. Acquiring the right of way needed to make it a limited access road would have been prohibitively expensive, he said. 

[Alex]

Baldwin County official updates work on Baldwin Beach Express

BAY MINETTE, Alabama -- Baldwin County Engineer Cal Markert told commissioners at today's regular meeting that work is on schedule for Baldwin Beach Express to be open from Interstate 10 southward in 24 months.

Markert said the phase one work from the end of the Foley Beach Express northward to Baldwin County 32 was complete and work on phase II and III was ongoing extending the four-lane highway to U.S. 90 and on to Baldwin 64. The last section will join the roadway to Interstate 10 with an interchange as an Alabama Department of Transportation project.

The county is currently studying extending the road to connect with Interstate 65 northeast of Bay Minette at the Catawba/Crosby Industrial Megasite.

Initial work on the BBE shows up on the latest Bing aerials, including two asphalt carriageways south of U.S. 90.

[Alex]

New traffic cameras to help traffic flow in Gulf Shores

The Gulf Shores City Council on Monday approved an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation for a $1 million project that focuses on Ala. 59 from the Intracoastal Waterway south to the Gulf.

The cameras will be mounted on the traffic signals to count cars and allow the city to adjust the lights based on heavy traffic flow, according to Acreman.

[Alex]

Little Lagoon to get new bridge in Gulf Shores, Alabama

The state plans to build a new $12 million to $14 million span over the pass next summer.

A two-lane temporary bridge will be put up while the old span is demolished and new one is built so traffic will not be effected, he said. Public meetings on the new bridge will be held next month or in January.

[Alex]

Help for traffic getting green light in Gulf Shores

A $1 million upgrade to major downtown intersections along Ala. 59 will get the green light from business owners before work begins, city officials said Monday.

"We're on a tight schedule and hope to have all the improvements in place for tourism season," said Marc Acreman, the city's public works director.

The city and the Alabama Department of Transportation have agreed on a funding plan for the new traffic signals: The city will pay 40 percent of the cost and the state 60 percent, he said.

The city wants to consolidate four traffic signals into two on Ala. 59, including two signals near Clubhouse Drive; one in front of Waterville USA; and at 8th Avenue {This is a single staggered intersection.}.

Waterville, a family-oriented water and amusement park, paid for the traffic light at the park entrance 25 years ago, Acreman said. "That was an investment for them and if there are changes, we want it to be an enhancement," for the park.

The city will vote next week on a $22,700 contract with Skipper Consulting of Birmingham to design the traffic signals and an $82,910 contract with Volkert & Associates for surveying, engineering and design of the intersection improvements. Those funds will come from the almost $1 million set aside by the city and state for the project.

The existing traffic signals will be upgraded to mast arm signals which are resilient to hurricanes and will allow the city to mount cameras to count cars, Acreman said.

"The cameras trigger the lights and allow us to track how busy the intersections are," he said. Instead of programming the lights for morning, evening or seasonal traffic, the city can program the system to respond to actual traffic flow at any given time, he said.

The cameras are for traffic flow, not for law enforcement to ticket motorists, he emphasized.