aldot holding Huntsville hostage, as usual (Birmingham, Montgomery: 2013, lawyer, construction)

[AU HSV]

from al.comhttps://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/05/gov_kay_ivey_tommy_battle_spar.html"A ceremonial ribbon cutting at a Huntsville business turned into a flashpoint of politics Wednesday as Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle raised concern over the widening of nearby Interstate 565.And Gov. Kay Ivey, sitting on the stage as Battle spoke, then jumped from her seat to reiterate her comments made last month in Huntsville that the highway project is a "priority" for her.Meanwhile, planning report documents on the Alabama Department of Transportation website indicate that the widening of I-565 is decades away with the earliest construction on the project scheduled for 2043. Other parts of the I-565 project are scheduled to begin as late as 2050, according to the documents.""Let me just remind you that at the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce last night, I announced that I-565 would be a high priority and they are accepting bids this month on reconstructing the interchange at the Greenbrier interchange," Ivey said. "I-565 is a high priority."I-565 is among what are perceived as three critical roadways that officials have said need significant expansion. The widening of I-65 south of Birmingham in Shelby County is already underway and the new bridge on I-10 in Mobile is competing with I-565 for funding.The remodeled interchange - which will connect Greenbrier Parkway with I-565 to the south and I-65 to the north - that Ivey spoke of will not affect the traffic bottleneck where traffic backs up as I-565 shrinks to two lanes in each direction as it nears I-65so many things wrong with this..first saying it is competing with I-10 is wrong. Now we have a war between the south and north. This also shows politics actually determine who gets what. Isn't federal funding for projects earmarked? Can you take money from a bridge in Mobile and move it to another project. We know aldot plays this game all the time.Hey how is that 10 year University US 72 widening project coming along?This is so absurd why is the governor not talking to Congress for more funds?Why do Huntsville projects get delayed for DECADES!

[bmrisko]

I'd be perfectly happy if everywhere north of the TN River seceded and joined with TN. No income tax, no state-controlled liquor stores, better roads, etc.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

I'd be perfectly happy if everywhere north of the TN River seceded and joined with TN. No income tax, no state-controlled liquor stores, better roads, etc.

I grew up in East Tennessee close to the Virginia border. It was always striking how the roads got better when you crossed the state line into Virginia. Now I live in North Alabama close to the Tennessee border. It's striking how the roads get better when you cross the state line into Tennessee.

It's all relative.

I'm puzzled how Battle is saying it would take 10 years to widen I-565 even if started today. Is there some environmental problem? I would think it would be easy at least to widen everything east of CLR for the first phase as it wouldn't involve any bridges.

[jero23]

I believe the choices for the GOP whom are concerned with the future of the state's only two viable cities for major economic development, Huntsville and B'ham, is Tommy Battle for governor. Ivey is a crone that needs to go sit her butt down somewhere. Her most recent commercial has proven that she is no platform when it comes to anything of relevance. To boot she allowed that accountant instead of a professional engineer, an AICP-certified transportation planner, or for Godsake a land development lawyer run ALDOT. Someone competent that is familiar with the field of urban planning and civil engineering processes needs to run ALDOT.

[NoleFanHSV]

Went through bham and I see they are still working. The south parkway here isn't finished and who knows when the north parkway will start. And of course the mythical 255 extension.

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

I grew up in East Tennessee close to the Virginia border. It was always striking how the roads got better when you crossed the state line into Virginia. Now I live in North Alabama close to the Tennessee border. It's striking how the roads get better when you cross the state line into Tennessee.

It's all relative.

I'm puzzled how Battle is saying it would take 10 years to widen I-565 even if started today. Is there some environmental problem? I would think it would be easy at least to widen everything east of CLR for the first phase as it wouldn't involve any bridges.

well it shouldn't if they did it correctly but he is familiar with aldot delay and footdragging way they do business.The project should be done all at once otherwise it wont be finished in 20 years. And design it for the next 30 years not 2008.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by NoleFanHSV

Went through bham and I see they are still working. The south parkway here isn't finished and who knows when the north parkway will start. And of course the mythical 255 extension.

And they're still pumping up the "northern bypass" in Birmingham that in my experience from driving there isn't needed at all, and it's a very expensive project. I'm not even convinced that I-22 was needed, but it was on the books for so many years that something had to happen.

Kay Ivey is a "good old girl" from rural central/south Alabama and has no idea how to deal with urban areas, and who can barely speak understandable English. That said, she'll probably be reelected since she's been rather benign ... neither active nor controversial ... and I don't think the state will ever have a governor from the Huntsville area. We're considiered a pariah by most of the rest of the state ... stopped in Dothan one time; someone asked where we were from, and when told, they said "Oh, you're from up north". So the backward attitude about "yankees" is even present for portions within our own state.

[DaMadHatter]

Originally Posted by bmrisko

I'd be perfectly happy if everywhere north of the TN River seceded and joined with TN. No income tax, no state-controlled liquor stores, better roads, etc.

I wonder if this is even possible. I'm sure Tennessee would love to Annex Florence, Athens, Huntsville and Scottsboro (Google).

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by DaMadHatter

I wonder if this is even possible. I'm sure Tennessee would love to Annex Florence, Athens, Huntsville and Scottsboro (Google).

Might as well throw Decatur in the mix too since they're part of "us". Alabama wouldn't like it though since they'd lose a huge amount of taxes that they only give back to the area at about 20% (fabricated number, but the point still stands).

[Hoping4Huntsville]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

And they're still pumping up the "northern bypass" in Birmingham that in my experience from driving there isn't needed at all, and it's a very expensive project. I'm not even convinced that I-22 was needed, but it was on the books for so many years that something had to happen.

Kay Ivey is a "good old girl" from rural central/south Alabama and has no idea how to deal with urban areas, and who can barely speak understandable English. That said, she'll probably be reelected since she's been rather benign ... neither active nor controversial ... and I don't think the state will ever have a governor from the Huntsville area. We're considiered a pariah by most of the rest of the state ... stopped in Dothan one time; someone asked where we were from, and when told, they said "Oh, you're from up north". So the backward attitude about "yankees" is even present for portions within our own state.

We moved from central NC to Dothan in 2013 and I'm pretty sure they consider everything north of Montgomery to be "yankee" territory. One of the most backwards areas I have ever been.