[harry chickpea]

The joke is a line from the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" where the Alabama sheriff was annoyed with the Georgia sheriff coming around snooping and trying to be a big shot.

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

The joke is a line from the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" where the Alabama sheriff was annoyed with the Georgia sheriff coming around snooping and trying to be a big shot.

Ah, I see. Good movie. Not every Georgian thinks they're better than their fellow Alabamian. We're all southerners after all, right?

[harry chickpea]

Yep, except those of us who have moved so many times we don't know what we are. Me - Alabama, Vermont, New York upstate, New York City, Atlanta, Athens GA, North Carolina, Florida, ping pong balls.

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Yep, except those of us who have moved so many times we don't know what we are. Me - Alabama, Vermont, New York upstate, New York City, Atlanta, Athens GA, North Carolina, Florida, ping pong balls.

I suppose I should've replaced southerners with Americans.

[Craziaskowboi]

Why not just improve U.S. 43 between Florence and Mobile? Build limited-access bypasses around Florence and Tuscaloosa; multiplex it with I-20 between Tuscaloosa and Eutaw, and widen it to a four-lane arterial highway between Eutaw and Grove Hill. BAM! Problem solved.

By the way, U.S. 431 between Phenix City and Dothan should become a limited-access highway, as should U.S. 231 between Dothan and Panama City, FL. They can even call it I-71. Yeah, I know there's an I-71 in Ohio already, but I-76, I-84 and I-88 are all duplicates, so we can have another one. Oh yeah, and when I-71 gets built around Dothan, build a real bypass this time, because there's so much business and traffic on the existing bypass that it defeats the purpose of having one in the first place.

[Catriona89]

I think this is a great idea. I get sick of going up the damn backroads to travel between Mobile and Tuscaloosa, and a lot of students are forced to endure the same less than optimal drive. Hwy 43 has pretty steady traffic some parts of the day. Perhaps this new road will allow Florence and Tuscaloosa to grow further, and maybe even small towns like Hamilton, Demopolis, Winfield, etc...A decent highway up the Western half of the state is long overdue, and while you all may claim there is "no population base"...there are a lot of small towns and two metro areas which would benefit (three if you count Florence-Muscle Shoals). And one of the reasons many of these towns are so pitiful is precisely because there is no quick highway access and no reason to invest in these places.

[d4g4m]

You can be sure that the projected $7 bil. cost to build the highway is a really low ball estimate. With 300 miles, there would be many, many eminent domain cases where they would be offering $20,000 for properties valued at $200,000 or $50,000 for $500,000 properties. If they say $7 bil, think $14 or $21 bil. And of course there are always the unseen overcosts. And let's not forget about the 10 year 'environmental impact study' costs and the law suits along the 300 miles where people don't want it.

[pjg66]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

I do, too. Plus it will make things so much easier for the Alabama National Guard when we swoop into the Panhandle and annex it away from Florida.

So I'm not the only one who thinks that the Florida Panhandle should really be part of Alabama.

[PortCity]

Originally Posted by Catriona89

I think this is a great idea. I get sick of going up the damn backroads to travel between Mobile and Tuscaloosa, and a lot of students are forced to endure the same less than optimal drive. Hwy 43 has pretty steady traffic some parts of the day. Perhaps this new road will allow Florence and Tuscaloosa to grow further, and maybe even small towns like Hamilton, Demopolis, Winfield, etc...A decent highway up the Western half of the state is long overdue, and while you all may claim there is "no population base"...there are a lot of small towns and two metro areas which would benefit (three if you count Florence-Muscle Shoals). And one of the reasons many of these towns are so pitiful is precisely because there is no quick highway access and no reason to invest in these places.

Yes !

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Catriona89

I think this is a great idea. I get sick of going up the damn backroads to travel between Mobile and Tuscaloosa, and a lot of students are forced to endure the same less than optimal drive. Hwy 43 has pretty steady traffic some parts of the day. Perhaps this new road will allow Florence and Tuscaloosa to grow further, and maybe even small towns like Hamilton, Demopolis, Winfield, etc...A decent highway up the Western half of the state is long overdue, and while you all may claim there is "no population base"...there are a lot of small towns and two metro areas which would benefit (three if you count Florence-Muscle Shoals). And one of the reasons many of these towns are so pitiful is precisely because there is no quick highway access and no reason to invest in these places.

You think that's worth $10+ billion?
Many states could come up with the same reasons for a 300mi toll road.