Anybody have any updated, privy info on I-20/59 reno? (Birmingham: appliances, how much)

[Tourian]

It begins.

Construction to start on 20/59 bridge in downtown Birmingham - Birmingham Business Journal

Birmingham's Brasfield & Gorrie has been awarded the $7.4 million contract for phase one of the project, with bids for the remaining phases coming at a later date.
Phase one will begin in the coming weeks, the release said and will involve widening the roads and elevating certain bridges in preparation for the larger project coming.

[steveklein]

Sadly, I don't think this will be done before the World games.

[Tourian]

At least they are cognizant of the need to claim it will be done by then...

I-20/59 bridge replacement to start soon; work should take 4 years | AL.com

Work to replace the bridges of Interstate 20/59 through downtown Birmingham will start soon, last about four years and cost about $420 million, the Alabama Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.
When the three-phase project is finished, the aging bridge that carries I-20/59 through downtown Birmingham and its access bridges will be replaced. In the process, two access points to I-20/59 downtown -- at 18th Street and at 22nd Street -- will be eliminated.

As long as they work night and day like they did when the tanker exploded, it could happen. But it can not be an on again off again, the plans are right affair like the 22 interchange has been. There's got to be a monetary incentive to finish early.

[steveklein]

The part that confused me was phase III... a project that is supposed to replace all of the bridges between Red Mountain Expressway and 65... is supposed to take just one year? There's not a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. Maybe I am misunderstanding the phases, but phase I seems like Malfunction Junction prep work, phase II seems like replacing a lot of the bridges at Malfunction Junction, and phase III, well... it just sounds like a lot to do in a year:

The third phase will involve the replacement of bridges at the interchange between I-20/59 and Red Mountain Expressway, or U.S. 31 and U.S. 280. It will also involve the replacement of the bridges that carry I-20/59 through downtown.

[preguntas]

Phases I/II both address prepping and adding new north/south flyovers connecting to I-65. (these will take traffic over the current interchange and will affect it marginally during construction)

The actual tearing down of I-59/20 is not time consuming, in fact it may be imploded where feasible. There is no major grading or ground prep such as we have seen at I-22. (no rock to blast and move) Building a new road way in an existing road bed is not a challenging feet for most qualified companies. Especially when one realizes that most road components are being built off sight as well as the fact that less than 1/3 of the pylons there now will be replaced.
The new technology and the prepped sight make this very different. It can't be compared to new constructions and certainly the difficult challenge of I-22.

[bhamoutlook]

If they can't give us one of the "better alternatives," which I'm not completely sold on anyway, what if they made the new bridge some kind of feature? Would people be ok if this new bridge added some type of architectural significance to downtown? Would the bridge still be hated? What if the bridge could become some type of landmark? I know that may be unconventional if it's not crossing over water. Maybe some kind of arch? Or some kind of statues welcoming people into the city? I just think, at this point, an alternative isn't feasible. Why not turn lemons into lemonade? Maybe we should start fighting for something else.

[Tourian]

I don't think they want to explore that option because they know they will eventually have to move it. These bridges will only last 30 years or less I think based on the volume of cars expected. And cost is always an issue. ALDOT just doesn't have the money. Imagine the uproar from the other metros if we made it some fancy suspension bridge or put some ornate carvings up when they can't get any of even the most basic projects going in their cities? We have all of ALDOT's attention right now with 22, the 20/59 bridges, 422, repaving 65, widening 65 all ongoing or on the table.

[280Tony]

You all will have to excuse me for being a dumbass, but can anyone enumerate what in these phases entail? Bullet point what this thing is supposed to look like / accomplish?

[Tourian]

I think they are doing the "end" first. The junction has to be raised and widened. The new bridges will be taller and have more lanes so the junction has to be raised and lanes added to link up.

I think phase 2 is building the bridges themselves.

I think phase 3 is raising the spaghetti/RME/280/31 so that is can match up.

Preguntas explained it better above.

[bhamguy]

Originally Posted by Tourian

I don't think they want to explore that option because they know they will eventually have to move it. These bridges will only last 30 years or less I think based on the volume of cars expected. And cost is always an issue. ALDOT just doesn't have the money. Imagine the uproar from the other metros if we made it some fancy suspension bridge or put some ornate carvings up when they can't get any of even the most basic projects going in their cities? We have all of ALDOT's attention right now with 22, the 20/59 bridges, 422, repaving 65, widening 65 all ongoing or on the table.

Yeah, we have ALDOTs attention, but not completely for all of our needs. When are they going to work out 65 between downtown and Hoover? One more lane, in both directions, and paving is all we need right folks. The work to be done in Shelby Co., more important than this section? I think not.