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Old 04-03-2018, 08:30 AM
 
2,979 posts, read 3,536,205 times
Reputation: 1404

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Quote:
Originally Posted by AU HSV View Post
Too bad the state refuses to address this issue, aldot could do it if it weren't for petty egos and politics
The City of Huntsville is paying for expanding and building Greenbrier Parkway as well as highway 20 improvements. Toyota should tell the Governor we want the interstate improved and it would get done.
Has the state been in contact with the Federal Highway Dept?
https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/topics/funding.cfm

From WAAY TV:
Experts estimate there could be as many as 10,000-15,000 more driver traveling this corridor between Madison and the I-65 connector near Decatur once the Mazda-Toyota plant is fully operational.
“There’s going to be additional traffic onto an interstate that’s almost at capacity at this point,” said Tom Hill, President and CEO of Limestone County Economic Development.
Mo Brooks would like to see the interstate widen from 4-lanes to 6-lanes and have the project move up on the Alabama Department of Transportation’s priority list. There's just one thing holding the project back...FUNDING. ( I don't believe that, it's where the money is allocated and diverted)
A project of this magnitude would cost millions of dollars in federal and state funding and several years to complete.
“I’ve personally met with the governor and Department of Transportation head, John cooper, and others regarding I565 for the last couple years. But, this certainly has this even higher on their radar,” said State Senator Arthur Orr, District 3.
WAAY 31 combed through the “Alabama 2040 Statewide Transportation Plan” from last year and based on the 80 page document the widening of I-565 was not listed as one of the top 17 key capacity improvement projects scheduled prior to 2040

Governor Ivey mentions I-565 in Huntsville Chamber Luncheon April 2, 2018.


State officials have estimated the cost of widening the highway - which is four lanes between Madison and I-65 - at about $100 million.
Ivey said Monday that the stretch of I-565 is being studied by consultants.


Battle said following Ivey's speech that even if everything was immediately in place for the project, it wouldn't be completed until 2028. (Seems the Mayor has a lot of info on this project already,. 10 YEARS to do this! That is absurd, hopefully incentive to the contractor would speed it up. The state already owns the right of way so that speeds things up)


"It is a big task," Ivey said. "It will not be completed over night and it must be studied and plans must be made so we can expand and build it in the most cost-effective manner. But I assure you, improving your commute on I-565 is important and is a priority of this governor and I will see it through. You have my commitment on that."
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Old 04-03-2018, 10:31 AM
 
Location: Madison, AL
635 posts, read 687,228 times
Reputation: 401
Quote:
Originally Posted by AU HSV View Post
Battle said following Ivey's speech that even if everything was immediately in place for the project, it wouldn't be completed until 2028. (Seems the Mayor has a lot of info on this project already,. 10 YEARS to do this! That is absurd, hopefully incentive to the contractor would speed it up. The state already owns the right of way so that speeds things up)
10 years - that's mind blowing!

Is there an impact from being next to the wildlife refuge? Or is there some endangered snail or sunfish

Endangered snails delay Alabama bridge project, raise cost $600,000 | AL.com

Feds will protect 'threatened' sunfish found only in Limestone County's Beaverdam Creek | AL.com

that would be impacted by the widening?
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Old 04-03-2018, 11:45 AM
 
Location: Madison, Alabama
12,749 posts, read 9,266,614 times
Reputation: 8796
Yeah, 10 years to add two lanes is ridiculous. But then there's Zierdt Rd .... If they can rebuild an interchange in Birmingham (after the fuel truck hit it and exploded) in just a couple of months, then they could widen the roadway in a lot less time than 10 years.

I think there's some bridges that will need widening or even replacing. They should have been built wider to begin with.
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Old 04-03-2018, 12:09 PM
 
2,979 posts, read 3,536,205 times
Reputation: 1404
Quote:
Originally Posted by cooldiver View Post
10 years - that's mind blowing!

Is there an impact from being next to the wildlife refuge? Or is there some endangered snail or sunfish

Endangered snails delay Alabama bridge project, raise cost $600,000 | AL.com

Feds will protect 'threatened' sunfish found only in Limestone County's Beaverdam Creek | AL.com

that would be impacted by the widening?
unknown at this time but doubtful. The squeeze point is through the refuge but believe the right of way is sufficient.
Also how the existing interchanges will be impacted/redone especially at I-565/I-65 and the airport. In any case Mayor Battle may have been taking a jab at aldot. This should be a 4 year project max and even that is too long.
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Old 04-03-2018, 04:55 PM
 
46,202 posts, read 26,946,757 times
Reputation: 11082
NASA Super Guppy heads for Florida with Marshall-made cargo

From the local news....
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Old 04-03-2018, 09:14 PM
 
Location: Madison, Alabama
12,749 posts, read 9,266,614 times
Reputation: 8796
Quote:
Originally Posted by AU HSV View Post
unknown at this time but doubtful. The squeeze point is through the refuge but believe the right of way is sufficient.
Also how the existing interchanges will be impacted/redone especially at I-565/I-65 and the airport. In any case Mayor Battle may have been taking a jab at aldot. This should be a 4 year project max and even that is too long.
Yeah, the airport interchange, including the County Line Road one, is a little bit of an odd duck. Probably when it was built, they were minimizing cost while really minimizing function. For instance, no flyovers that make things a lot easier. I doubt they change that interchange though ... they just did the Conty Line area. Probalby the worst one is 565/Reasearch Park Blvd. It really needs some drastic upgrades. And the 565 Parkway interchange goes without saying ... it's the biggest mess I've ever seen, even topping the so called "Malfunction Junction" in B'ham. I doubt we'll ever see anything done there though, but eastbound 565 to southboud Parkway requires merging over 3 lanes just to go straight south. It was improved some but is still a mess. That's not really relevant to needed Toyota (and other Limestone Cty industries) that have popped up and should continue to do so.
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Old 04-04-2018, 05:33 AM
 
Location: Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, and Raleigh
2,580 posts, read 2,474,069 times
Reputation: 1614
Quote:
Originally Posted by RocketDawg View Post
Yeah, the airport interchange, including the County Line Road one, is a little bit of an odd duck. Probably when it was built, they were minimizing cost while really minimizing function. For instance, no flyovers that make things a lot easier. I doubt they change that interchange though ... they just did the Conty Line area. Probalby the worst one is 565/Reasearch Park Blvd. It really needs some drastic upgrades. And the 565 Parkway interchange goes without saying ... it's the biggest mess I've ever seen, even topping the so called "Malfunction Junction" in B'ham. I doubt we'll ever see anything done there though, but eastbound 565 to southboud Parkway requires merging over 3 lanes just to go straight south. It was improved some but is still a mess. That's not really relevant to needed Toyota (and other Limestone Cty industries) that have popped up and should continue to do so.
If you are saying that you have obviously not been stuck in "Malfunction Junction" in Birmingham during peak commute times. It's the busiest interchange in Alabama and in its current configuration is a cluster**** of a major interchange. That's why ALDOT is being forced to reconstruct the whole interchange along with the redo of I-20/59 in Birmingham.
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Old 04-04-2018, 06:17 AM
 
Location: Madison, AL
3,297 posts, read 6,242,220 times
Reputation: 2678
Quote:
Originally Posted by RocketDawg View Post
Yeah, the airport interchange, including the County Line Road one, is a little bit of an odd duck. Probably when it was built, they were minimizing cost while really minimizing function. For instance, no flyovers that make things a lot easier. I doubt they change that interchange though ... they just did the Conty Line area. Probalby the worst one is 565/Reasearch Park Blvd. It really needs some drastic upgrades. And the 565 Parkway interchange goes without saying ... it's the biggest mess I've ever seen, even topping the so called "Malfunction Junction" in B'ham. I doubt we'll ever see anything done there though, but eastbound 565 to southboud Parkway requires merging over 3 lanes just to go straight south. It was improved some but is still a mess. That's not really relevant to needed Toyota (and other Limestone Cty industries) that have popped up and should continue to do so.
No way. Malfunction Junction is the worst interchange on the planet and is appropriately named. A heaping hot mess with three times the traffic. Whoever thought that was a good idea should be shot. With a normal traffic flow (not peak) its worse than anything in our area.

Last edited by LCTMadison; 04-04-2018 at 06:49 AM..
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Old 04-04-2018, 06:25 AM
 
Location: Madison, Alabama
12,749 posts, read 9,266,614 times
Reputation: 8796
Quote:
Originally Posted by jero23 View Post
If you are saying that you have obviously not been stuck in "Malfunction Junction" in Birmingham during peak commute times. It's the busiest interchange in Alabama and in its current configuration is a cluster**** of a major interchange. That's why ALDOT is being forced to reconstruct the whole interchange along with the redo of I-20/59 in Birmingham.
Correct, I haven't been stuck there during rush hour except during the fringe times, and then only for a couple of minutes. Much of that was due to what seemed like endless construction on 65 north of the interchange. Congestion can be expected at the intersection of two major interstates regardless of what the configuration is, but "malfunction" certainly wasn't built 50 (about that?) years ago with today's traffic volume in mind. Hopefully the changes they are making now (merging from 65 South onto 20/59 NE bound) will help but I don't think it will mean clean flow during rush hour.

My original comment was a bit tongue in cheek, but the 565/Parkway interchange was a poor design from the day it was put on paper.

Still ... it's nothing compared to Atlanta. The last time I made the trip from Athens to Marietta, it took about 5 hours to get from 85 to 285 to 75 North, then to Kennesaw. And that couldn't be more than 30 miles. And it was on a Sunday afternoon ... no rush hour.
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Old 04-04-2018, 06:53 AM
 
Location: Madison, AL
3,297 posts, read 6,242,220 times
Reputation: 2678
Quote:
Originally Posted by RocketDawg View Post
Correct, I haven't been stuck there during rush hour except during the fringe times, and then only for a couple of minutes. Much of that was due to what seemed like endless construction on 65 north of the interchange. Congestion can be expected at the intersection of two major interstates regardless of what the configuration is, but "malfunction" certainly wasn't built 50 (about that?) years ago with today's traffic volume in mind. Hopefully the changes they are making now (merging from 65 South onto 20/59 NE bound) will help but I don't think it will mean clean flow during rush hour.

My original comment was a bit tongue in cheek, but the 565/Parkway interchange was a poor design from the day it was put on paper.

Still ... it's nothing compared to Atlanta. The last time I made the trip from Athens to Marietta, it took about 5 hours to get from 85 to 285 to 75 North, then to Kennesaw. And that couldn't be more than 30 miles. And it was on a Sunday afternoon ... no rush hour.
I would avoid Malfunction Junction at all costs during peak traffic unless you want a severe case of PTSD.

ATL is on a whole other level.
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