Information on Huntsville's Roads (Ardmore, Elkmont: authority, housing, park)

[padmaster]

Originally Posted by Charles

Is this it, 1981? It says only five people died.

5 KILLED AS GAS TRUCK HITS TRAIN IN ALABAMA - New York Times


NTSB-TSR-RHR- 82-1
Miller Transporters, Inc., Tractor Cargo Tank-Semi trailer/Southern Railway System Freight Train Collision and Fire, Huntsville, Alabama, September 15, 1981
September 15, 1981
At 9:00 a.m. c.d.t., on September 15, 1981, a northbound truck tractor-cargo tank semitrailer loaded with 8,986 gallons of gasoline was struck by a westbound freight train at a railroad/highway grade crossing on Jordan Lane in Huntsville, Alabama. The gasoline cargo escaping from the ruptured cargo tank splashed over the locomotive and four passenger cars, that had stopped north of the track to await the train’s passage, and ignited. At the time, the crossing warning red lights were flashing and the bell was ringing; the train lights were illuminated, its bell was ringing, and its whistle was sounding. Five persons were killed, two persons died later as a result of their injuries, and four of five train crewmembers were injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the failure of the truck driver to comply with the activated crossing warning signal and Federal regulations and company rides that require hazardous materials carriers to stop at all nonexempt railroad crossings to determine if it is safe before crossing the tracks. Contributing to the severity of this accident and loss of life was the rupture of the cargo tank and the rapid spread of the burning gasoline around the victims’ cars which were stopped directly in the path of the spreading gasoline. "

from

Hazmat accident list 69-82

This is how I remember it. 5 killed at the scene and two died later. My son was born Feb. 1981 and my ex-wife had an appointment at the Fox army hospital that morning. She went thru that intersection about 30 minutes before the accident. When she left the hospital, she had to go the other way down Jordan to get home. sad sad day

[cornutt]

Crap, you are absolutely right. I don't know where I got the number 37. I think it might have been the total number of people injured.

[deesonic]

I barely remember this. I was only 8 years old at the time, but lived less than a mile from that intersection. It WAS a very dangerous intersection with Governors, Jordan, and the railroad all coming together there.

[SouthernBoy205]

What's this I hear that Hughes Road will have an interchange with 565? Is this a typo?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

What's this I hear that Hughes Road will have an interchange with 565? Is this a typo?

No typo. Your sentence is spelled correctly.

I can't imagine there would be an expensive interchange placed there after no success at widening Hughes Road.

[deesonic]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

What's this I hear that Hughes Road will have an interchange with 565? Is this a typo?

If it's not a typo, we should put it in a time capsule and bury it. Then we can come back 20 years later and laugh at the folly of ALDOT getting anything done in a timely manner. We'll all be getting around town Jetsons style before that interchange is built.

[friday13]

Shouldn't they widen Slaughter, Eastview, Gooch, Zierdt, Wall-Triana, Mill, Indian Creek bridge, Old Madison Pike first?
http://www.ci.madison.al.us/DocumentView.aspx?DID=251

[SouthernBoy205]

So the bypass in Huntsville is completely dead, right?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

So the bypass in Huntsville is completely dead, right?

Which bypass?

[cornutt]

Originally Posted by A&M Bulldawg

So the bypass in Huntsville is completely dead, right?

Well, a piece of the northern bypass near the Toyota plant is done, and there's supposed to be funding for the overpass at Highway 53. The southern bypass -- I don't know if I'll live long enough to see that done. Getting road work done these days is like something out of an Ayn Rand novel.