ALDOT adding lanes to Hwy. 280 (Mountain Brook: house, schools, tax)

[mcalumni01]

Humm...

https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingh...tween-red.html

The Alabama Department of Transportation is working on multiple projects to help mitigate traffic congestion on U.S. Highway 280 in both eastbound and westbound lanes.

The project includes two phases in which improvements will be made between the Red Mountain Expressway and Doug Baker Boulevard along the heavily traveled highway, which is one of the metro area's top corridors for development.

ALDOT Spokesperson Linda Crockett told the BBJ that ALDOT will add an additional lane on 280 from Lakeshore Drive to Pump House Road in the first phase of the project. She said the second phase will include the replacement of the Pump House Road Bridge that crosses over 280 as well as an additional lane from Pump House Road to I-459.

Phase 1 is 80% designed and could go to contract as early as this summer for both eastbound and westbound lanes of traffic, Crockett said.

She said ALDOT will also let a project to contract this spring to provide resurfacing and operational improvements from east of the Cahaba River Bridge to just east of County Road 41 in both directions.

This project will include resurfacing from east of the Cahaba River Bridge to State Route 119 and from east of Doug Baker Boulevard to east of County Road 41. Operational improvements will also be made from State Route 119 to Doug Baker Boulevard.

[TimCity2000]

after a certain point, additional lanes really don't do much. i think that will be true in this case as well.

one major project i think would help would be creating a flyover for vehicles traveling westbound (inbound) on 280 heading onto 459 south (towards tuscaloosa). this would eliminate the light at the 280/459 intersection, which is probably the longest on all of 280.

[wardamnbham]

It's well past time ALDOT seriously considered making 280 limited-use, at least between RME and 459.

[bhamblazer]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

after a certain point, additional lanes really don't do much. i think that will be true in this case as well.

one major project i think would help would be creating a flyover for vehicles traveling westbound (inbound) on 280 heading onto 459 south (towards tuscaloosa). this would eliminate the light at the 280/459 intersection, which is probably the longest on all of 280.

The flyover is way overdue. With the expanded road funds from the gas tax increase, our metro needs to push ALDOT for this.

[bfmx1]

Yeah this looks like more wasted money. Widening the road just for a small portion right there won't do anything but add more confusion, it still goes back to 3 lanes per side causing more merging issues.

[OldBankhead]

So... ALDOT wants to use federal dollars earmarked for infrastructure improvements to try to improve 280 that would otherwise go to some other city to do something to their roads.

Ummm, okay. Let them. This isn't the time for, "bUt wHat aBoUt ThE sChOols aNd CrImE?" because the money is earmarked for that purpose alone. Drastic changes probably have to meet Mountain Brook approval so you know that means "no drastic changes."

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

after a certain point, additional lanes really don't do much. i think that will be true in this case as well.

one major project i think would help would be creating a flyover for vehicles traveling westbound (inbound) on 280 heading onto 459 south (towards tuscaloosa). this would eliminate the light at the 280/459 intersection, which is probably the longest on all of 280.

Correct....you must be an engineer

The problems are the stoplights and interchanges.

[TimCity2000]

Originally Posted by Mississippi Alabama Line

Correct....you must be an engineer

close. architect haha.

[mcalumni01]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

after a certain point, additional lanes really don't do much. i think that will be true in this case as well.

one major project i think would help would be creating a flyover for vehicles traveling westbound (inbound) on 280 heading onto 459 south (towards tuscaloosa). this would eliminate the light at the 280/459 intersection, which is probably the longest on all of 280.

That was in discussion 7 years ago. Aldot actually started prep work by removing a lot of trees off that service road accessing 280 westbound toward downtown. I assume that's all the money they had at the time for the project.

https://280living.com/news/flyovers-...unding-them-i/

[Blazin65]

Originally Posted by bhamblazer

The flyover is way overdue. With the expanded road funds from the gas tax increase, our metro needs to push ALDOT for this.

I agree. But instead ALDOT spends millions and millions of dollars every few years on that highway while ignoring other road projects that are needed in other parts of the metro and state. It's been going on for 20 years and will never change.