Northern Belt Line? (Birmingham, Bessemer: homes, neighborhoods, costs)

[Tourian]

So another story on the NB says the cost is now estimated at 5.45 billion.

That approval from the core of engineers cant come soon enough. I really believe that once work begins on this people will realize that life will go on and more good things will continue to happen to this city both because of and completely independant of this road.

[sleepless in Bham]

Originally Posted by Tourian

So another story on the NB says the cost is now estimated at 5.45 billion.

That approval from the core of engineers cant come soon enough. I really believe that once work begins on this people will realize that life will go on and more good things will continue to happen to this city both because of and completely independant of this road.

5.45 billion dollars?

I wonder how many other, more pressing road projects this money could be used for?

[Tourian]

The world will never know.

[sleepless in Bham]

Originally Posted by Tourian

The world will never know.

You are really gung-Ho about this project, why?

Again I was a one time supporter of this project, but now days I don't see the need of spending 6 billion dollars on a interstate that will only bring something some of us claim not wanting in the first place.

[Tourian]

I've explained it already.

You are upset and acting like this is the last road projrect Birmingham will ever get. Right now they are actively working on 22, 20 and about to redo 20 59 downtown. Plus they are working on 280.

they are not about to spend 5 billion dollars on buses or light rail.

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by Tourian

I've explained it already.

You are upset and acting like this is the last road projrect Birmingham will ever get. Right now they are actively working on 22, 20 and about to redo 20 59 downtown. Plus they are working on 280.

they are not about to spend 5 billion dollars on buses or light rail.

Well put.

I wonder how someone proclaims to have supported something and then became so decisively against it even though nothing about the original project has changed in a way that could be construed as negative.

I would think that looking at the immense success of the 'mirror' road on the south side of the county would suggest that it is a no brainer. I-459 is a beautiful drive, it handles its load well and has made it possible to traverse this county and metro in ways no one could have dreamed. The money it saves individual drivers is astronomical and unless there is the infrequent accident, you won't find thousands of cars sitting still spewing out pollution like on so many other roads in the metro.
Simply put the road works and does it in a classy way.

Now imagine, with what has been learned from I-459 how much better I-422 can be. For instance they went back and added lanes in the most dense area plans which includes my property. This will save the money they wasted the first time by building I-459 with only four lanes and having to go back and widen it immediately.

As far as the cost of the road; inflation is a fact of life, been to the grocery lately. How much cheaper would this road be if we don't build it until we realize that we absolutely have to have it. That's a no brainer.

The biggest argument for a project that is totally supported by the cities in which it will passes (check the records), is that with out it Birmingham will continue to grow south farther and farther from downtown. We need to balance the growth around downtown more evenly. When people get a certain distance out from downtown they cease to relate to the city and interact with it. They really lose a sense that they are part of an urban/suburban structure.

If we want our central metro areas to be healthy we need to encourage growth that is balanced and not being on a body of water allows Birmingham to do that. Otherwise we will end up like Memphis, St. Louis and many other river cities where there is almost nothing in sight across the river from downtown but the suburbs sprawl for forty miles away from town, and the people feel no compelling need to contribute to the civic wellbeing.

It is all so reasonable that when anyone argues against it there has to be some level of disbelief among the rational.

Best to all,
raj

[sleepless in Bham]

I do have a right to change my mind on an issue, and this issue has been talked about since 1985 or maybe even before. Let's be real the only people that will benefit from this road project are the major landowners along the proposed route, and the potential development that may happen. So we are willing to spend 6 billion dollars to make that happen?.

I live less than a mile from the proposed route and a proposed interchange. Obviously the cities along the route are for it. It's a potential new source of revenue.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

It would be nice if some very wealthy people could build their own road, like they did back in the old days.

Long Island Motor Parkway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

It would be nice if some very wealthy people could build their own road, like they did back in the old days.

Long Island Motor Parkway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Woah, you really are old.

For some strange reason, I don't see the Vanderbilts (or the Waltons, or Gates or all of Mtn Brook, or whatever) moving to northern Jefferson county and self-financing a road. Call me crazy.

[mcalumni01]

yea this state is putting a lot of money into the present interstates and the future interstates around Birmingham, so any other transportation ideas is probably a no show. so if that's the direction they are going in, so be it. i'm pretty sure there was a lot of uproar about I-459 before it was built. now hoover, mccalla, highway280, grants mill road, Trussville, leeds ain't complaining now. ain't nothing gone be done about the cost, the more you wait, the more it's gone cost, that's America. my thing with it is if it's going to connect in Bessemer why can't it not connect in Trussville instead of clay. why go further down I-59 to connect to it. just don't make sense.