I-459 mistake / construction survey error in Hoover? (how much, buying a house)

[vb808]

My parents bought their house in the mid 80's in the Pinewood neighborhood, which at the time was considered the edge of Hoover. The neighborhood is visible below the interstate on the right when heading west on I-459, between the Galleria Blvd exit and the Hwy 150 exit.

My mom was telling me that when they first moved into the neighborhood, someone had told her that 459 was supposed to be constructed a little further south and not as close to the homes as it currently is, due to an error. I've never heard of this nor could I find anything online confirming this. I wanted to see if there are any long-time Hoover residents that know if this is true or not.

Looking at Google Earth, I noticed that the lanes split and there is a gap between the east and west bound lanes, right where the neighborhood is and if you look at all of 459, there are no other wide gaps like this. I wonder if the original plan was for the east & west bound lanes to run together as it does for the majority of the highway. Interested in hearing thoughts on this.

[Lifeadviser]

Do your parents plan on moving out of hoover?

[steveklein]

I don't know the answer to OP's question, but I also am curious. I have also been curious why the median is so wide on that stretch of 459.

[vb808]

Originally Posted by steveklein

I don't know the answer to OP's question, but I also am curious. I have also been curious why the median is so wide on that stretch of 459.

Yes I never really noticed that until I went on Google and saw the gap just in that area, as compared to the rest of 459.

I recall being so angry at my parents for buying a house so close to the freeway - I was in high school at the time and they did not include me in the house hunting process . Back then there wasn't much traffic passing through so it was relatively quiet. Things sure have changed since and now they can't enjoy the back deck - too bad for them.

[RocketDawg]

Perhaps it was some environmental (rare fish or snail or lizard).

Even if the lanes on the north side were moved south to be adjacent to the eastbound lanes, they'd be twice as far away but still close enough to be an issue ... better, but not a real solution. Maybe your parents got a good deal because of the proximity of the highway.

What was there first ... the houses or the highway?

[vb808]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Perhaps it was some environmental (rare fish or snail or lizard).

Even if the lanes on the north side were moved south to be adjacent to the eastbound lanes, they'd be twice as far away but still close enough to be an issue ... better, but not a real solution. Maybe your parents got a good deal because of the proximity of the highway.

What was there first ... the houses or the highway?

Right, rare fish, snail or lizard....

I think it would've made a significant difference.

I'm not sure if there was a big price difference between the homes up the street vs what they paid.

The homes were there first, built in the late 70s. 459 was built in the early-mid 80s.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by vb808

Right, rare fish, snail or lizard....

I think it would've made a significant difference.

I'm not sure if there was a big price difference between the homes up the street vs what they paid.

The homes were there first, built in the late 70s. 459 was built in the early-mid 80s.

I'm not sure how much environmental things were stressed in the 80s in Alabama but they were beginning to become very strict nationwide. I handled techncial contracts at work, many involving hardware testing, and the environmental assessments were often very lengthy and expensive.

Yes, moving the lanes would have made a decent differnce but wouldn't solve the problem. I'm about a mile as the crow flies from I-565 and although I can't hear traffic in my house (unless it's a crotch rocket going all out) I can walk out on my deck and it's quite audible, regarless of the hour. It's easy to see how it would be an issue at your parents' house.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by vb808

Right, rare fish, snail or lizard....

I think it would've made a significant difference.

I'm not sure if there was a big price difference between the homes up the street vs what they paid.

The homes were there first, built in the late 70s. 459 was built in the early-mid 80s.

Before you roll your eyes, make you you know of what you speak. Environmental issues these days can absolutely shut a project down.

In the mid-80s? Maybe, maybe not. It's most likely due to terrain. It's a very hilly and rocky area. A lot of medians are split like that around the country, not exactly some crazy idea. And I really doubt that big of an error wasn't caught. Believe it or not, the DOTs aren't out there just wasting money, they are on budgets too, and the cheaper they can build things, the better, especially when you're talking about blasting rock and placing millions of yards of fill.

It was very likely designed that way. Amazing the rumors that get out, and what people will believe.

And another thing, the interstate being moved a couple hundred feet or so away from where it is now, would have ZERO bearing on the sound in that neighborhood. To mitigate that, you'd have to install sound absorbers like they are doing in Atlanta right now.

[vb808]

Originally Posted by Mississippi Alabama Line

Before you roll your eyes, make you you know of what you speak. Environmental issues these days can absolutely shut a project down.

In the mid-80s? Maybe, maybe not. It's most likely due to terrain. It's a very hilly and rocky area. A lot of medians are split like that around the country, not exactly some crazy idea. And I really doubt that big of an error wasn't caught. Believe it or not, the DOTs aren't out there just wasting money, they are on budgets too, and the cheaper they can build things, the better, especially when you're talking about blasting rock and placing millions of yards of fill.

It was very likely designed that way. Amazing the rumors that get out, and what people will believe.

And another thing, the interstate being moved a couple hundred feet or so away from where it is now, would have ZERO bearing on the sound in that neighborhood. To mitigate that, you'd have to install sound absorbers like they are doing in Atlanta right now.

OK perhaps the rolling of eyes was not appropriate. I agree, environmental impact studies can totally change, delay or derail a project. However I find it hard to believe that they would split the median in that tiny area due to some indigenous snail living there, that's all i'm saying.

Now rock blasting, maybe. They had to move a lot of earth to build 459, and the terrain in the area looks to be equal as everything else surrounding it. The tiny median space looks insignificant as compared to the entire scheme of things, but who knows. Maybe there is some sort of ultra hard rock that would've been infeasible to blast.

It's significantly more than a couple hundred feet. Yeah, the sound might not have been 100% abated but I think it would've helped for sure - and of course visually.

Really my OP was a question for long-time residents in the area (or folks that might have actually worked on the project) that might know if what my mom heard is fact or just rumor - that's it and that's all. It was not my intention to gather hypothesis and defend why or why not 459 was built the way it is.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by vb808

OK perhaps the rolling of eyes was not appropriate. I agree, environmental impact studies can totally change, delay or derail a project. However I find it hard to believe that they would split the median in that tiny area due to some indigenous snail living there, that's all i'm saying.

Now rock blasting, maybe. They had to move a lot of earth to build 459, and the terrain in the area looks to be equal as everything else surrounding it. The tiny median space looks insignificant as compared to the entire scheme of things, but who knows. Maybe there is some sort of ultra hard rock that would've been infeasible to blast.

It's significantly more than a couple hundred feet. Yeah, the sound might not have been 100% abated but I think it would've helped for sure - and of course visually.

Really my OP was a question for long-time residents in the area (or folks that might have actually worked on the project) that might know if what my mom heard is fact or just rumor - that's it and that's all. It was not my intention to gather hypothesis and defend why or why not 459 was built the way it is.

Well, at least you got some possible and reasonable reasons. I suppose the only way to know for sure would be to ask AlDot. I personally doubt it was a surveying error ... they'd surely notice things were off right away. But things do happen ... there was a bridge built somewhere near New Orleans some years ago (possibly across Lake Ponchartrain), started from both banks, and the sections didn't meet in the middle. Not off several hundred feet though.

Call AlDot and ask them. I seriously doubt there will be noise abatement walls built anytime soon. 459 seems to be mostly rural.