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[Voyager75]

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Here is the change log from June 2019 from the ALDOT Milepost Map for Jefferson County:

INTERSTATE 65 @ 255.047 (COUNTY MILEAGE 6.475) AND STATE ROUTE 149 @ 3.370 (COUNTY MILEAGE 3.370) AND 4.090 (COUNTY MILEAGE 4.090) DUE TO ELIMINATION OF SEGMENT OF STATE ROUTE 149 AND ADDITION / RELOCATION OF SEGMENT OF 149 ON THE STATE SYSTEM. MAINTENANCE ASSUMED BY CITY OF HOMEWOOD.
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The end of AL-149 is posted just past the Wildwood Circle intersection about a mile west of I-65. Kind of random. There is a North 149 sign directly across the road indicating the beginning.


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[clong]

The end of AL-149 is posted just past the Wildwood Circle intersection about a mile west of I-65. Kind of random. There is a North 149 sign directly across the road indicating the beginning.


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That location is where the Homewood/Birmingham City Limits border.

[rcm195]

East/North bound lanes of 20/59 now open through downtown Birmingham. 🥳🥳🥳🥳

[Georgia]

god, it was so nice not to either have to divert through Uptown/new football stadium land or industrial NE B'ham today.  ALDOT did a great job with the viaducts at least, still some work on some ramps I saw going on.

[Voyager75]

New overhead signage was finally installed this past week at the I-65 Exit 242 and 238 exits. The exit only sign in the second pic had been up for a month but was finally adjusted to line up with the actual exit only lane. And for some reason the right side signage is in Clearview at both exits. Haven’t got a pic at Exit 238 yet.
Plus I should note the overheads at the off ramps had been sitting on the side of the interstate for the past few weeks. But they were instantly put the day after a 8 car pileup last Saturday night at the US-31 Exit 238 off ramp in rainy conditions. Doubt it was coincidence and probably a little CYA from ALDOT to the contractors. I’ve personally witnessed several cars dart back in the 65 mainline last second at that off ramp since the lanes were expanded. The exit had been poorly marked really.


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[Tom958]

I haven't been to Birmingham since 20-59 reopened, but I saw a video that Cody posted on Facebook and... there are two major signage boogerups that I saw, both on the westbound side.

First, about 3000 feet before the US 31-280-Carraway Blvd. exit, they've placed an enormous APL-like monstrosity that bears no resemblance to anything in the MUTCD, and which is unneeded because there's not a multilane exit with an option lane there. This huge sign calls out all the Interstates and their destinations (except for I-22 and Memphis, of course) as well as US 31-280 et al. However, considering that the previous assembly calls out I-65 at the 2 mile mark, and that there are at least two perfectly legit APL's between the 31-280 interchange and I-65, all that's really needed is a conventional sign for US 31-280 et al, 1/2 mile.

Upstream from there is another mess: conventional signage with everything mounted a lane too far to the left, plus an MUTCD-noncompliant white down arrow pointing to the incorrect lane for the US 31-280 exit. Putting way too much effort into it, I figured out:

Originally there was this overhead Aside from its iconic slatted design, matte finish and diagrammatic arrow, the two right signs were mounted a lane too far left because the 31st Street offramp being just beyond the bridge made it infeasible to put the 31st Street arrow sign at the theoretical gore where it ideally should be. No big deal, really. Shit happens with '60's highway design.

Then, at some point, the slatted signs were cloned into modern ones, the offramp to 31st Street was lengthed greatly, and the signs were thus installed on a new gantry at the theoretical gore of the new offramp. However, when the new signs were installed there, the new offramp was barely even started, so again they placed the 31st Street arrow sign over the right mainline lane. This Streetview is from March 2017.

Unsurprisingly, when the new 31st Street offramp was completed, the signs were not moved rightward to their correct location, probably because it wouldn't be long until the viaduct would be closed and something else would have to be done with the signs there. This Streetview is from February 2019.

Then, all of the signs were replaced, which obviously means that they were remounted. 31st Street became 31st Street, 12th Avenue and BJCC. Unfortunately, the new sign was mounted over the mainline instead of over the offramp! And, the distance legend for the US 31-280 exit was replaced by a white down arrow, which, because the signs are too far left, points to the incorrect lane! WTF? Finally, there are two conventional signs for I-65 north and south, which, other than message overload, I don't see a problem with.

[Voyager75]

New sign gantry was installed at the west end of I-459 recently. This replaced the original that was knocked down in a accident well over a year ago. The noticeable thing about it are the obvious Exit 0 tabs which may be the first I’ve ever seen in these parts. Also the LEFT tab may or may not be totally accurate as the lanes actually continue straight ahead as it crosses over and eventually merges in with Southbound I-20/59.



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[cjk374]

I always thought that exit should have been numbered zero. Did it originally have the I-20/59 exit number there or no number at all? I can't remember.

[Voyager75]

The originals have/had no exit number. This new one is the only one which has the exit tabs. ALDOT seems to be trying out new signage along I-459 with this and the new mileage signs with a 459 shield on them put out every .2 miles like Tennessee does along their interstates.

Of course when I-422 is finally built in the year 2135 they’ll have to decide how to sign the exit numbers for the interchange.

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[formulanone]

I recall I-65 has an Exit 0 at I-10, but no A-B for each (like Pennsylvania).

[sparker]

Haven't harped on this for almost two years -- but do any of the sign plans for I-20/59 or I-65 in Birmingham contain I-22 trailblazer information?  Seems silly (or even a bit pathetic) not to include such at this point!

[Voyager75]

Haven't harped on this for almost two years -- but do any of the sign plans for I-20/59 or I-65 in Birmingham contain I-22 trailblazer information?  Seems silly (or even a bit pathetic) not to include such at this point!

Don’t think there ever was. All the new signage has gone up in the downtown area and there’s zero indication of I-22 even existing. You get no I-22 signage on I-65 North until you’re 3/4 of a mile from the interchange. There is a sign gantry just north of Finely Blvd with only a 65 North BGS on it that is probably supposed to have a I-22 sign on it but it was never put up or forgotten.





I-65 South is properly signed from 2 miles out inward but I would assume only about 5% of the cars traveling in that direction would even use I-22 unless it’s local.

They had travel times to I-22 once on one of the VMS boards south of Birmingham but it was only once. I drove it everyday pre-pandemic and since then the boards only give times to US-31 in Hoover or I-20/59(which have been swapped back around properly from the dumb 59/20 pre-bridge build mandate). That or the social bullet points of the week.


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[jdb1234]

Haven't harped on this for almost two years -- but do any of the sign plans for I-20/59 or I-65 in Birmingham contain I-22 trailblazer information?  Seems silly (or even a bit pathetic) not to include such at this point!

Don’t think there ever was. All the new signage has gone up in the downtown area and there’s zero indication of I-22 even existing. You get no I-22 signage on I-65 North until you’re 3/4 of a mile from the interchange. There is a sign gantry just north of Finely Blvd with only a 65 North BGS on it that is probably supposed to have a I-22 sign on it but it was never put up or forgotten.

That sign bridge is at 33rd Avenue N.  Interesting to note that it was put up when I-65 was widened through there, a few years before the interchange at I-22 started construction.

Before I-22, the interchange at Finley Blvd had a sign for Memphis.  I think it is still there with Memphis greened out.

[Voyager75]

Yeah it’s still there.





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[Alex]

Despite the completion of the I-20/59 viaduct project, as of last Friday there is only one advance sign for US 31/280 along the freeway northbound. Instead there are three US 280 trailblazers posted leading to the gore point for Exit 126A.

Southbound has three advance signs, but none beyond the APL ahead of 31st Street.

Was surprised to see that the three vintage overheads for I-65 with button copy shields on southbound survive.

[jdb1234]

Despite the completion of the I-20/59 viaduct project, as of last Friday there is only one advance sign for US 31/280 along the freeway northbound. Instead there are three US 280 trailblazers posted leading to the gore point for Exit 126A.

Southbound has three advance signs, but none beyond the APL ahead of 31st Street.

Was surprised to see that the three vintage overheads for I-65 with button copy shields on southbound survive.

The signage for US 280 has been a issue since the viaduct reopened.  I know of people that have missed the exit for that reason. 

[Voyager75]

Despite the completion of the I-20/59 viaduct project, as of last Friday there is only one advance sign for US 31/280 along the freeway northbound. Instead there are three US 280 trailblazers posted leading to the gore point for Exit 126A.

Southbound has three advance signs, but none beyond the APL ahead of 31st Street.

Was surprised to see that the three vintage overheads for I-65 with button copy shields on southbound survive.

The signage for US 280 has been a issue since the viaduct reopened.  I know of people that have missed the exit for that reason.

The first thing I noticed when I drove on the new bridge was the lack of a exit gantry for US-31/280. There’s no warning for people unfamiliar with the new layout for the exit other than the 1 mile advanced signage. Those small trailblazer US-280 signs don’t get the job done really. Those were added week or two after so the lack of signage is known by ALDOT but I doubt they do anything else about it. Those bridge pieces don’t actually support sign gantries. The others are supported from the ground below so I’m not sure if the area under the exit ramp has room for supports. I would have to go down and investigate.


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[bdmoss88]

I came through Birmingham late Friday night and made that movement from N/E 59/20 to 280 and probably would have missed that exit had I not seen this conversation earlier this week so, thanks, guys. 

[architect77]

Despite the completion of the I-20/59 viaduct project, as of last Friday there is only one advance sign for US 31/280 along the freeway northbound. Instead there are three US 280 trailblazers posted leading to the gore point for Exit 126A.

Southbound has three advance signs, but none beyond the APL ahead of 31st Street.

Was surprised to see that the three vintage overheads for I-65 with button copy shields on southbound survive.

The signage for US 280 has been a issue since the viaduct reopened.  I know of people that have missed the exit for that reason.

The first thing I noticed when I drove on the new bridge was the lack of a exit gantry for US-31/280. There’s no warning for people unfamiliar with the new layout for the exit other than the 1 mile advanced signage. Those small trailblazer US-280 signs don’t get the job done really. Those were added week or two after so the lack of signage is known by ALDOT but I doubt they do anything else about it. Those bridge pieces don’t actually support sign gantries. The others are supported from the ground below so I’m not sure if the area under the exit ramp has room for supports. I would have to go down and investigate.


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DO YOU GUYS COMMUNICATE ALL OF THESE ISSUES WITH THE DOT ON A REGULAR BASIS? i email my concerns to every email address i can find here in Georgia in hopes that someone will take the needed action.