Huntsville Highways and Roads

[codyg1985]

So i'm assuming since the last overpass is at shields... what is going to happen to all the business on 72 between Shields and Ryland Pike.. How will they be entered if 72 is limited access expressway on their front entrance.

[Huntsville_secede]

http://www.al.com/opinion/huntsvilletimes/...&thispage=1

You can't post full articles. - Leonard23

[jmanhsv]

According to the Times, Hughes Road from Plaza to US 72 will be widened to four lanes starting in 2007. The 3-lane road already carries over 20,000 vpd. The construction timeline was moved up because of a railroad crossing project on Wall Triana that will close the road for at least 2 months. Also, kudos to the city for its road construction recycling program. Huntsville Times article

Also in the paper today, the MPO is putting in its 06-08 plan a "preliminary engineering" project to begin next year for the Decatur-Huntsville portion of the Memphis-Hsv-Atl highway.

[jmanhsv]

Did anyone see in the Times today (yesterday in the Birmingham News) the article with DOT director McInnes' "long list" of projects that he wants to get done? http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/inde....xml&coll=2

Only 2 projects north of Birmingham:

*Widening 157 from Cullman to Moulton

*Widening US411 from Gadsden to Cherokee County

Thanks, Joe, for forgetting about Huntsville and the rest of North Alabama.

[kayman]

Did anyone see in the Times today (yesterday in the Birmingham News) the article with DOT director McInnes' "long list" of projects that he wants to get done? http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/inde....xml&coll=2

Only 2 projects north of Birmingham:

*Widening 157 from Cullman to Moulton

*Widening US411 from Gadsden to Cherokee County

Thanks, Joe, for forgetting about Huntsville and the rest of North Alabama.

[HSVTiger]

Did anyone see in the Times today (yesterday in the Birmingham News) the article with DOT director McInnes' "long list" of projects that he wants to get done? http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/inde....xml&coll=2

Only 2 projects north of Birmingham:

*Widening 157 from Cullman to Moulton

*Widening US411 from Gadsden to Cherokee County

Thanks, Joe, for forgetting about Huntsville and the rest of North Alabama.

[Huntsville_secede]

Check out this article from Huntsville Times. This just makes me mad $1 billion but only 6.8 million spent in huntsville, parkway overpasses moved back all the way to 2014, Huntsville generated a large portion of the new jobs being created in the state yet it looks like we are getting the smallest share of road money.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind...&thispage=1

The state gets $1 billion a year in federal transportation money but will spend only $6.8 million in Huntsville in 2007, said Steve Dinges, an assistant director of the Huntsville Planning Department.

Dinges said the overpass for Weatherly Road and Whitesburg Drive is scheduled for construction in 2008, and the overpass for Max Luther Drive and Sparkman Drive is scheduled for construction in 2009.

In addition, the Memorial Parkway overpass project for Lily Flagg, Byrd Spring and Martin roads has been bumped back five years, he said. The state moved construction on the service roads from 2007 to 2012 and construction on the overpass from 2009 to 2014.

[HSVTiger]

there should be a major outcry over this. ALDOT is the most politically driven organization anywhere.

20 years to build some crappy overpasses. They are not able to do the job, while hiding and holding money to be used on their pet projects. Prove me wrong, Alabama cities held hostage by ALDOT.

[Huntsville_secede]

there should be a major outcry over this. ALDOT is the most politically driven organization anywhere.

20 years to build some crappy overpasses. They are not able to do the job, while hiding and holding money to be used on their pet projects. Prove me wrong, Alabama cities held hostage by ALDOT.

[codyg1985]

there should be a major outcry over this. ALDOT is the most politically driven organization anywhere.

20 years to build some crappy overpasses. They are not able to do the job, while hiding and holding money to be used on their pet projects. Prove me wrong, Alabama cities held hostage by ALDOT.

[HSVTiger]

ADOT director admits he is screwing us, it must be fun for him to jerk cities around at his whim.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/kcl....xml&coll=1

How does anything get finished? Wait it doesn't

"That's assuming that the funding remains stable," Harris added.

Asked to elaborate, Harris said costly projects such as the river bridge are often targeted for delay when the department is looking to make the best use of the federal highway tax money it receives each year. "

and no surprise,this issue which should have been finished will suddenly become a problem

"Indian artifacts and burial sites were found there in archeological digs a few years ago before bridge construction, Harris said. Some remains were reburied elsewhere at the time, he said"

[Huntsville_secede]

Mr. McInnes should drive along Memorial Parkway and Highway 20 between Decatur and Huntsville during rush hour and then refine his estimate about which projects are more important. These highways are at or over capacity right now and the situation will only get worse as more jobs and residents will come into the Huntsville-Decatur area as a result of BRAC. All of those other projects are important for the state, but once again, more money is being invested in rural areas of the state instead of in the urban areas where money is needed most.

[jmanhsv]

I swear this wasn't me. From the Huntsville Times "Ask Us" section.

Q. I saw a couple of days ago that the new DOT director is a go-getter and wants to see a lot of projects done in his four years. But how come none of his projects include anything in the Huntsville metro area? There are plenty of projects that need a jump start like the Memorial Parkway overpasses, Alabama 53 and so forth. Is there anyone we as taxpayers can write to get our streets fixed and widened?

A. Road and bridge improvements worth up to $450 million are scheduled in Madison County during the next five years, with as much as $100 million in projects planned for Memorial Parkway and Alabama 53 alone, said Tony Harris, special assistant to Highway Director Joe McInnes. "These are significant investments, and these projects should be considered high priority projects," said Harris. "There are also high priority projects in other parts of the state that will be advanced aggressively because of the department's desire to close gaps in Alabama's transportation network. Some of those projects were recently identified in a story originally published in The Birmingham News and later distributed by the Associated Press. Citizens should not be concerned that a project is not a priority just because it was not mentioned in those articles."

[HSVTiger]

not a fair comparison, one being a fairly short urban stretch vs a major urban interstate

but the fact is ALDOT has no solutions or plans for either.

the state's traffic counts for 2005 show that on an average day 109,850 vehicles travel Memorial Parkway just south of Governors Drive. In Birmingham, an average of 106,880 vehicles daily travel I-65 just north of the intersection with Interstates-20/59.

Also, more vehicles - nearly 108,400 - are on Memorial Parkway at Clinton Avenue on an average day than on that segment of I-65.

The Alabama Department of Transportation uses electronic devices to count vehicles for a year and divides the number by 365 to arrive at a daily average.

Although Memorial Parkway compares favorably - or unfavorably depending on your view - with I-65 north of I-20/59, the daily traffic on Memorial Parkway near Governors Drive and Clinton Avenue doesn't keep pace with other traffic counts near I-65 and I-20/59.

In Birmingham, an average of 139,860 vehicles travel I-65 just south of I-20/59 each day. The averages on I-20/59 are 159,110 just east of I-65 and 145,730 just west of I-65.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/kcl....xml&coll=1

[codyg1985]

Looks like something is about to happen along Governor's Drive in Huntsville; construction signs went up today hinting at work to come.

[HSVTiger]

Looks like something is about to happen along Governor's Drive in Huntsville; construction signs went up today hinting at work to come.

[Huntsville_secede]

565 spur to the shoals....

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../701210345/1011

Several Shoals leaders say they are tired of sitting idle while the concept of a Memphis-to-Atlanta superhighway remains dormant.

Instead, they want to move forward on another road project they say would make a quick and dramatic impact on northwest Alabama's economy.

They are preparing to launch a campaign to connect the Shoals with Interstate 565 near Decatur. In the process, they hope to connect the Shoals with greater economic development opportunities.

[codyg1985]

565 spur to the shoals....

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../701210345/1011

Several Shoals leaders say they are tired of sitting idle while the concept of a Memphis-to-Atlanta superhighway remains dormant.

Instead, they want to move forward on another road project they say would make a quick and dramatic impact on northwest Alabama's economy.

They are preparing to launch a campaign to connect the Shoals with Interstate 565 near Decatur. In the process, they hope to connect the Shoals with greater economic development opportunities.

[Huntsville_secede]

What makes these people think that just giving the project another name will magically allow it to be built sooner? It will be the same highway between the Shoals and Decatur/I-65 if it's called a spur, a I-565 extension, or the Memphis-Huntsville-Atlanta highway. Sorry if I sound so pessimistic, but given the track record of ALDOT and other agencies, I don't see it happening anytime soon no matter what they decide to call it.

With that said, I hope that such a push for some action will get the timetable moved up to construct the highway as it would indeed greatly benefit the Shoals as well as Decatur.

On a different note, do any of you guys think that University Drive (US 72) will need to be widened or rebuilt through Huntsville as a result of increased traffic? I was particularly interested in how US 1 around Princeton and Trenton, NJ is setup. In that case, intersections are right-in, right-out, and there are u-turns at certain designated locations. Most major roads get overpasses and access to the main road through the use of frontage roads and/or interchanges.

[HSVTiger]

that's funny, give the folks in the Shoals credit for at least pretending they don't

know how ALDOT works (it doesn't). They're tired, where have they been. Good luck, add

this project to the closet full of wishful projects across Alabama.

Remember the director targets projects especially high profile ones (Memphis, HSV, ATL)

to delay and use funds elsewhere.

[HSVTiger]

MADISON -- Local officials were encouraged by news they heard Tuesday that

the Alabama Department of Transportation is developing a road corridor

linking Interstate 65 to Alabama 20 near Hillsboro.

The 14.5-mile highway will be part of the long-discussed Memphis-to-Atlanta

super highway. The price tag for that stretch was estimated at just over

$550 million.

The section has been placed on a priority list for the massive road project

that would ultimately connect Memphis with Atlanta.

Shoals leaders say expediting the project could open up the area for more

economic development.

The officials were attending an update on the Memphis-to-Atlanta Highway

hosted by the Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority at the Four Points

Sheraton Hotel, located at the airport.

Florence Times Daily

[kayman]

^^^ That's encouraging news.

I want to know how is the progress coming along with extending I-565 towards Gurley?

[HSVTiger]

^^^ That's encouraging news.

I want to know how is the progress coming along with extending I-565 towards Gurley?

[jmanhsv]

Currently it's all on paper, there has been a lot of surveying going on. Actual Construction should start

this year...maybe.

[3rdGenHuntsvillian]

I wouldn't bet on any actual construction happening before 2009.

In other news, the city council approved the Intermodal Center and Parking Garage (or, simply, a Park and Ride) that will be located at Bridge Street. It looks like from the article that there will be new Shuttle bus routes to CRP West and the vicinity as a result. Actual routes will not be chosen until later this year, when Bridge Street opens. The developer is paying for the construction of the 1100 space park and ride, and they will be paid back by the city as soon as federal money comes in.

Huntsville Times article: http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind....xml&coll=1