aldot5920b

Space Constraints
The greatest issue to overcome is space. While there is sufficient width between existing buildings for the road itself, the space is insufficient to accommodate full shoulders, or to actually dig the trench – working slopes would be required, causing the “dig” to get underneath numerous adjoining buildings, weakening their foundational support. Additionally, once completed, it would be impossible to expand the roadway at a future date to accommodate the capacity requirements associated with the projected 20-year traffic growth.

Utility Relocation
There are a total of 72 major artery utility lines running beneath the 6,600-foot span of the interstate, comprised of […]

In 2011, after consultation with the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County, it became clear that a simple re-deck would be insufficient to address the design deficiencies that currently subject motorists to persistent congestion and unsafe road conditions along I-59/20 through the Central Business District.

Reasons a simple re-deck is insufficient include:

No Shoulders
There are no shoulders on the current roadway, meaning emergency responders cannot remove disabled vehicles or address emergencies without causing traffic to stop.

Weaves
There are multiple areas in the relatively short 6,600-foot section of the elevated structure where motorists are forced to “weave,” or make unsafe lane crossings, in a short […]

The “Long Route” involved re-routing I-59/20 near Tallapoosa Street west across I-65 and US-78, before rejoining with the existing I-59/20 corridor west of Arkadelphia Road. It shared the same disadvantages and costs associated with traversing the Village Creek floodplain as the short plan.

However, due to the width required for this interstate “corridor,” and that it must have avoided the Burlington Northern Railroad Yard, ALDOT’s study shows the long route would have require the demolition of nearly all the businesses along the existing Finley Boulevard Corridor.

If planning were to start today, the long re-route would take at least 28 years to complete, […]