ALDOT adding lanes to Hwy. 280

[bhamblazer]

There's definitely a lot of needs. I was driving on I20 today between the 459 and 59 interchanges and forgot that it merged down to 2 lanes. That stretch through Birmingham should be 3 lanes.

[preguntas]

Originally Posted by bhamblazer

There's definitely a lot of needs. I was driving on I20 today between the 459 and 59 interchanges and forgot that it merged down to 2 lanes. That stretch through Birmingham should be 3 lanes.

That section from the airport interchange to the new Amazon center should have been increased to six or eight back with the rest of the I-20 work but almost the entire length is a very high and long bridge.

Therefore, it is not just a widening job, but most likely a tear down and rebuild. Very expensive and problematic by design.
Frankly, I think widening I-59 to Trussville and beyond is far more important based on the traffic load.

They will both be done eventually.

[mcalumni01]

Here was ALDOT 5 year highway construction for Jefferson County released in 2019. Obviously they have been pushed back

https://cpmsapps.dot.state.al.us/Off...Rpts/37Fyp.pdf

A few items that caught my eye..

In 2020...Lakeshore/I-65 interchange rebuilt

In 2024...Adding lanes to I-59 between Valley Road in Fairfield and 18th/19th Street in Bessemer

In 2020...Resurfacing I-59 between 1st Ave. N in Birmingham and I-459

In 2024...Adding lanes on I-59 between 1st Ave. N. in Birmingham and I-459

In 2025...Adding lanes between I-459 and chalkville mountain road in trussville

In 2019...Adding an auxiliary lane on RME between highland ave. and 21st ave. in birmingham

In 2024...Adding lanes on Hwy 78 between Finley Blvd. and Pratt Hwy in Birmingham


Don't think I saw any mentioning of I-65 getting addition lanes from the junction to hwy 31. But recently, I read somewhere that that stretch will be done in two phases (rehabilitation & repaving, no added lanes). One is between Hwy 31 and Oxymoor Rd and then between there and the 3rd ave n. downtown whenever that will be. That stretch is all concrete, not asphalt. So they will have to break the highway up before they can even repave it with asphalt.

[mcalumni01]

Now that ALDOT is done with the construction of the downtown interstates, what should be next on the agenda. I think they have to be looking at I-59 from 1st. Ave N. to Center Point Parkway. To many accidents on that stretch. Add a lane to both sides and a concrete divider so cars don't cross over would help a lot. At the split, they have to somehow add another land I-20 east. One merge lane isn't working. They need to reconstruct that entire interchange really. That on ramp from Airport Rd was a terrible design flaw. I know I-65 isn't getting attention for awhile. I wish they would have started the NB in Bessemer toward Gardendale first. No need to worry about that finishing in our lifetime.