Additional Tenn River Bridge? (Huntsville, Decatur: school, cost, bus)

[RocketDawg]

Just wondering if there have ever been any plans for an additional bridge over the river, possibly at Triana leading into the Somerville area. Seems that would be a good idea, and would enable further development below the river into Morngan County, a plus for the entire metro.

[Maya Blue]

Considering we can't even get other road projects completed up here in a reasonable time, much less fast tracking a 565 expansion. Expect your great-grandchildren to still be asking for this.

[bmrisko]

Let's please focus on widening 72 and 565 first...

[denofhc]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

Let's please focus on widening 72 and 565 first...

I agree. Let’s try to get ahead of the traffic we know is coming

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Maya Blue

Considering we can't even get other road projects completed up here in a reasonable time, much less fast tracking a 565 expansion. Expect your great-grandchildren to still be asking for this.

Yeah, that's true ... wishful thinking. At one time, the idea of an Atlanta-Huntsville-Memphis freeway seem to be getting somewhat firmer, but now it's totally trashed.

Actually, AlDoT won't fastrack anything for this area. Perhaps cynically speaking, in 50 years, when this is the largest metro in the state, we'll probably still be using the same roads as they are now except for further deterioration.

[Mayor of the Trailerhood]

They once talked about a toll bridge years ago.

[dwhisent]

They also talked about replacing BOTH Whitesburg bridges, they built the southbound, made it the northbound. Blew up the old northbound. Did the dirt moving on the banks for the new northbound... then nothing.

[Colin24816]

The Memphis to Atlanta Highway was planned to follow US 72 for the most part up to Hillsboro where a new bridge was planned to cross the river near the Lawrence/Morgan County line, then it would go north to Huntsville/Brownsferry, then east before diving back down to I-565. I think that the Greenbrier Parkway would become the east end of the tie in. This would at least get a lot traffic out of Decatur along Hwy. 20. It would be nice to have another crossing at the Beltline that would tie in to the M/AH north of the river. I also think there should be another crossing east of I-65, possibly at County Line Rd./Wall Triana or somewhat further east of there. Of course these are what I would like to see, so probably not very relistic in our lifetimes.

[Coogan]

Originally Posted by dwhisent

They also talked about replacing BOTH Whitesburg bridges, they built the southbound, made it the northbound. Blew up the old northbound. Did the dirt moving on the banks for the new northbound... then nothing.

I seem to remember something from ALDOT (either an article or schedule) saying that the earliest they could start on the new northbound bridge was in like, 2031. Those bridges cost a friggin' fortune to build.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Coogan

I seem to remember something from ALDOT (either an article or schedule) saying that the earliest they could start on the new northbound bridge was in like, 2031. Those bridges cost a friggin' fortune to build.

And they take forever to build. The two spans at Scottsboro must have taken 10-15 years. It's a matter of AlDoT's priorities though.

Speaking of the Whitesburg bridge ... I really don't think it's all that bad now. I remember when I first came here it was narrow and two-way. The way the approach from the south is done is a little screwy (I suppose because it was meant to meet up with the new span that's never been built) but the bridge itself seems adequate to me. They need to increase the height of the concrete edges though ... they're the same height as the ones on the 565 interchange where the school bus went over a few years ago.