Huntsville/Madison Development News (Black, Franklin: place to live, activity, suburban)

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

As South Parkway overpass construction winds down to completion, North Parkway overpass construction at Mastin Lake and beyond is set to begin soon.
https://rp.dot.state.al.us/memorialp.../pdf/PIMap.pdf


In another project, right of way acquisition continues for the Northern Bypass, basically along Bob Wade Lane to North Memorial Parkway. Hopefully there will be a full interchange at that intersection. Otherwise it will already be 20 years behind.
Right now its probably 40 years behind what should be there.

Nope. Unless things have changed it's will be a light from what I saw.


Getting to Mastin lake...it won't solve much. Winchester backs up bad north bound between 4 and 5:30.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

Nope. Unless things have changed it's will be a light from what I saw.


Getting to Mastin lake...it won't solve much. Winchester backs up bad north bound between 4 and 5:30.

Like you said unless something has changed the project is supposed to extend over the Parkway an 1/8th of a mile or so. In any case it will most likely be inadequate and Huntsville shortchanged again by aldot.
Now would be the time for the state to acquire open farmland for future road that would bypass the suburbs of Meridianville and Hazel Green before they are completely covered with housing which is happening at a rapid pace.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

Nope. Unless things have changed it's will be a light from what I saw.


Getting to Mastin lake...it won't solve much. Winchester backs up bad north bound between 4 and 5:30.

When Bradford was extended west for the "new" part of Research Park, they were originally going to make its intersection with Rideout Road a signaled-controled intersection. Can you imagine the traffic nightmare if they'd followed through on those plans? By the time AlDot gets around to building the limited access portion of Research Park Blvd., traffic signals probably will be obsolete ....

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

Like you said unless something has changed the project is supposed to extend over the Parkway an 1/8th of a mile or so. In any case it will most likely be inadequate and Huntsville shortchanged again by aldot.
Now would be the time for the state to acquire open farmland for future road that would bypass the suburbs of Meridianville and Hazel Green before they are completely covered with housing which is happening at a rapid pace.

We should not be holding our collective breath waiting for that to happen.

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

When Bradford was extended west for the "new" part of Research Park, they were originally going to make its intersection with Rideout Road a signaled-controled intersection. Can you imagine the traffic nightmare if they'd followed through on those plans? By the time AlDot gets around to building the limited access portion of Research Park Blvd., traffic signals probably will be obsolete ....

I can't find the ALDOT details, but this link here has the iage I've last seen on the intersection. It looks like a controlled intersection. Maybe they'll raise the parkway over?

Access Denied

[David1502]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

I can't find the ALDOT details, but this link here has the iage I've last seen on the intersection. It looks like a controlled intersection. Maybe they'll raise the parkway over?

Access Denied

Of course it will be an intersection with a traffic light in the same way that the intersection of RPB (Research Park Blvd.) at AL Highway 53 was from the early 1990's until they built the overpass over 53 several yeas ago. There is no timeline for building overpasses (and the main lanes) over Kelley Cemetery Rd. and Pulaski Pike, just to get to Toyota, and the future Aerojet Rocketdyne and Facebook facilities. That section will have to become controlled access before they even think about building an overpass over N. Memorial Parkway.


Keep in mind, also, that the biggest priority for the Huntsville area is to widen I-565 to three lanes each way from the Wall Triana interchange to I-65 (and perhaps beyond that to Decatur). Currently, that project is estimated to cost $100 million and there is no timeline to begin construction for it.


Finally, to understand how cash strapped AL DOT is, on the Zierdt Rd. project, there is no funding for landscaping in the median (so the state is content to just have weeds), nor is there any funding to have a turn lane for travelers on Zierdt going northbound and would like to turn left into Town Madison. However, the Edgewater HOA (and perhaps Mountain Brook and the The Reserve's HOA's, too) is looking into doing the landscaping themselves - it will look very ugly otherwise with the utility poles in the median. Town Madison (which means Breland) will have to pay to install the traffic light at the intersection of Town Madison Parkway and the turn lanes necessary to access it. I'm sure that they will as the residents of the Zierdt corridor will be their best customers. The reason the State is giving is that Town Madison didn't exist at the time the original plan for widening Zierdt Rd. began. The good news is that a contract has been let to do the final phase of the widening project and the contractor should be onsite in October. It will take 30 months to complete.

[Maya Blue]

Originally Posted by David1502

Of course it will be an intersection with a traffic light in the same way that the intersection of RPB (Research Park Blvd.) at AL Highway 53 was from the early 1990's until they built the overpass over 53 several yeas ago. There is no timeline for building overpasses (and the main lanes) over Kelley Cemetery Rd. and Pulaski Pike, just to get to Toyota, and the future Aerojet Rocketdyne and Facebook facilities. That section will have to become controlled access before they even think about building an overpass over N. Memorial Parkway.


Keep in mind, also, that the biggest priority for the Huntsville area is to widen I-565 to three lanes each way from the Wall Triana interchange to I-65 (and perhaps beyond that to Decatur). Currently, that project is estimated to cost $100 million and there is no timeline to begin construction for it.


Finally, to understand how cash strapped AL DOT is, on the Zierdt Rd. project, there is no funding for landscaping in the median (so the state is content to just have weeds), nor is there any funding to have a turn lane for travelers on Zierdt going northbound and would like to turn left into Town Madison. However, the Edgewater HOA (and perhaps Mountain Brook and the The Reserve's HOA's, too) is looking into doing the landscaping themselves - it will look very ugly otherwise with the utility poles in the median. Town Madison (which means Breland) will have to pay to install the traffic light at the intersection of Town Madison Parkway and the turn lanes necessary to access it. I'm sure that they will as the residents of the Zierdt corridor will be their best customers. The reason the State is giving is that Town Madison didn't exist at the time the original plan for widening Zierdt Rd. began. The good news is that a contract has been let to do the final phase of the widening project and the contractor should be onsite in October. It will take 30 months to complete.

While i'm a fiscal conservative, I'm all about raising the gas tax at least 5 cents to pay directly for roads in this state. Oh, and also figure out how to get the politics out of ALDONT.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Maya Blue

While i'm a fiscal conservative, I'm all about raising the gas tax at least 5 cents to pay directly for roads in this state. Oh, and also figure out how to get the politics out of ALDONT.

I agree with raising the gasoline tax if needed, but keep in mind that there's plenty of road construction going on in the state right now; it's just not in our part of the state.

Back to the Zierdt Rd project ... if it is indeed finished in 30 months from October, that means it will have taken a full 10 years from the time the project started, and that the northbound lanes will have been sitting there, unused, for close to 5 years. Gotta wonder how long unused asphalt lasts. I suppose we'll find out.

I was under the impression that Huntsville and Madison were funding the project, and that AlDot is the contract manager. Did AlDot divert city funds to something else?

[denofhc]

Originally Posted by Maya Blue

While i'm a fiscal conservative, I'm all about raising the gas tax at least 5 cents to pay directly for roads in this state. Oh, and also figure out how to get the politics out of ALDONT.

I totally agree! Let’s get these roads built. Raise the gas tax NOW! Same with the politics - not with ADOT.

[NoleFanHSV]

Originally Posted by David1502

Of course it will be an intersection with a traffic light in the same way that the intersection of RPB (Research Park Blvd.) at AL Highway 53 was from the early 1990's until they built the overpass over 53 several yeas ago. There is no timeline for building overpasses (and the main lanes) over Kelley Cemetery Rd. and Pulaski Pike, just to get to Toyota, and the future Aerojet Rocketdyne and Facebook facilities. That section will have to become controlled access before they even think about building an overpass over N. Memorial Parkway.


Keep in mind, also, that the biggest priority for the Huntsville area is to widen I-565 to three lanes each way from the Wall Triana interchange to I-65 (and perhaps beyond that to Decatur). Currently, that project is estimated to cost $100 million and there is no timeline to begin construction for it.


Finally, to understand how cash strapped AL DOT is, on the Zierdt Rd. project, there is no funding for landscaping in the median (so the state is content to just have weeds), nor is there any funding to have a turn lane for travelers on Zierdt going northbound and would like to turn left into Town Madison. However, the Edgewater HOA (and perhaps Mountain Brook and the The Reserve's HOA's, too) is looking into doing the landscaping themselves - it will look very ugly otherwise with the utility poles in the median. Town Madison (which means Breland) will have to pay to install the traffic light at the intersection of Town Madison Parkway and the turn lanes necessary to access it. I'm sure that they will as the residents of the Zierdt corridor will be their best customers. The reason the State is giving is that Town Madison didn't exist at the time the original plan for widening Zierdt Rd. began. The good news is that a contract has been let to do the final phase of the widening project and the contractor should be onsite in October. It will take 30 months to complete.

Pulaski Pike isn't too bad even at rush hour. 231 and 255 will be a mess though. Kelley cemetery Imho should be done so there is no cross traffic there.


We haven't had a gas tax increase in years. ALDOT doesn't have money because of the low income from gas taxes.