Mobile Area Roads and Highways

[Southron]

Lets discuss road and bridge planning and construction in Mobile and Baldwin County...

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Former State Senator Jimmy Faulkner of Bay Minette wrote a Press-Register opinion advocating the construction of the I-10 bridge over the Mobile River in downtown Mobile, widening I-10 to six lanes to Malbis, and building a bridge across about two miles of 6,000 acre Gulf State Park so that tourists can get to the south Baldwin County beaches more quickly.

If the I-10 Bayway is going to be widened, the state might as well add lanes for future light rail, HOV lanes, and bicycle lanes while they're at it.

Mobile Press-Register: I-10 is necessary local, national traffic link

[Alabadrock]

Lets discuss road and bridge planning and construction in Mobile and Baldwin County...

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Former State Senator Jimmy Faulkner of Bay Minette wrote a Press-Register opinion advocating the construction of the I-10 bridge over the Mobile River in downtown Mobile, widening I-10 to six lanes to Malbis, and building a bridge across about two miles of 6,000 acre Gulf State Park so that tourists can get to the south Baldwin County beaches more quickly.

I'm going to create a separate thread for the I-10 bridge across the Mobile River, because that's been so controversial. If the I-10 Bayway is going to be widened, the state might as well add lanes for future light rail, HOV lanes, and bicycle lanes while they're at it.

Mobile Press-Register: I-10 is necessary local, national traffic link

[Southron]

ALDOT should begin work next year on a proposed I-10 interchange that would link a Foley Beach Express extension along Baldwin County 83 with I-10 east of Loxley, where Baldwin County 68 crosses I-10 near Rosinton. The corridor should help relieve congestion on 59 through Loxley, Robertsdale and Summerdale.

Baldwin County Commissioner Ed Bishop said county officials are developing plans to extend the expressway north to join I-65 north of Bay Minette, to help with beach traffic and storm evacuation.

Mobile Press-Register: Hearing Tuesday on new I-10 exit

[nimsjus]

As I came into town yesterday, I made it a point to check out the signage for I-165 since it has been tossed around in the I-10 Bridge discussion. I have always thought that 165 was ridiculously underused except when saraland and satsuma folks are trying to get home from parades. I noticed on the drive in that the signage indicates that it will take you to downtown/Prichard on multiple signs over the road and those along the sides of the road. Finally a small sign(relatively speed limit size) on the side of the road about 50ft from the exit says "To I-10". It really does look like an after thought and there is no way you could cross lanes of traffic at that point to take 165. Before building a bridge that could destroy our local shipping/cruise industries, why not try adding "to I-10", "to gulf beaches" on the big overhead signs and smaller roadside signs to see how much traffic they can divert. I have never used the route to cross the bay because my family lives in the Hillcrest area and I come home from Auburn. If I was going to the beach from Auburn I would get off above the delta at BayMinette exit and go down, or I would be going home which wouldn't require me to use I-10. Signs at the BayMinette exit and the 165 exit that announced to people that they could cross the bay and reconnect to I-10 by these routes should greatly decrease volume for a while. ALDOT could use that time to rethink this bridge and save up for one of the better options. They also need to save up to raise and widen the bayway while they are at it. I think that is a much more pressing issue than tunnel congestion after seeing similar spans in Mississippi/Louisiana go down in Katrina.

[DruidCity]

If the I-10 Bayway is going to be widened, the state might as well add lanes for future light rail, HOV lanes, and bicycle lanes while they're at it.

[Southron]

Before building a bridge that could destroy our local shipping/cruise industries, why not try adding "to I-10", "to gulf beaches" on the big overhead signs and smaller roadside signs to see how much traffic they can divert. I have never used the route to cross the bay because my family lives in the Hillcrest area and I come home from Auburn. If I was going to the beach from Auburn I would get off above the delta at BayMinette exit and go down, or I would be going home which wouldn't require me to use I-10. Signs at the BayMinette exit and the 165 exit that announced to people that they could cross the bay and reconnect to I-10 by these routes should greatly decrease volume for a while. ALDOT could use that time to rethink this bridge and save up for one of the better options. They also need to save up to raise and widen the bayway while they are at it. I think that is a much more pressing issue than tunnel congestion after seeing similar spans in Mississippi/Louisiana go down in Katrina.

[Southron]

ALDOT officials met with area residents to discuss state plans to build a new exit on I-10 and a road to link the interchange with the extended Foley Beach Express. Some central Baldwin residents told officials the road will destroy homes and farms and bring congestion to rural areas. An ALDOT representative said the current plan will require the removal of three homes, the lowest number of any possible route.

Current plans call for the state to build the interchange and corridor south to link with the extension of the Beach Express being built by Baldwin County. The projected cost of the interchange and corridor is about $10 million, and the 13-mile Beach Express extension from Foley to Rosinton is estimated at $50 million.

Mobile Press-Register: Highway plan draws complaints

[elb401]

Every Road project is going to have opposition. I fell for those people that are being forced to sell their homes.

[Southron]

Baldwin County legislators signed off on a constitutional amendment (we really need home rule) for a pay-as-you-go program that would allow the county to issue bonds to build roads, bridges and drainage projects and pay for the bonds and debt service through a special property tax of up to 4 mills ($110 per year on a $275,000 house). The legislation still must be approved by the full House and Senate. The constitutional amendment would be voted on statewide next year, and then voted on in Baldwin County in a following election.

Baldwin County's population grew 20.5 percent between 2000 and 2006, and officials have been trying to manage infrastructure issues. The County Commission adopted a strategic plan last year, which will need $143 million in revenues in the next 10 years to implement. The strategic plan includes a 20-year traffic study to determine the county's transportation project priorities.

Mobile Press-Register: Baldwin legislators OK road amendment

[elb401]

Thats great. It has worked great in Mobile county. I'm glad to see other counties are modeling the pay-as-you go plan from Mobile. I think Baldwin County really needed this.

[The Dude]

ALDOT to consider northern route (no bridge)

State highway department officials said Thursday they will ask the federal government to consider a fourth option for bypassing the Wallace Tunnel that would not include a new bridge over downtown Mobile.

Ronnie Poiroux, the Mobile division engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation, said the state wants to include a plan to widen and enhance an existing route that includes Interstate 165.

[mobileal1]

ALDOT to consider northern route (no bridge)

Great news for downtown Mobile!

[Alabadrock]

It won't relieve traffic in the slightest. The whole point of wanting to build a bridge is because it is in a direct route. People want to get somewhere fast, taking them north would do nothing but lengthen the amount of time it takes to get where they're going.

[elb401]

I think its good news. Not if it is a parking lot further down I-10. I've traveled the route while the tunnels were clogged. It only took me about 15 minutes to get around....saved me time last summer and I think the article is right about it only adding 9 miles to the route. There just needs to be good amount of signs out to make it work. If this route will save 300+ million dollars in the local economy and 1000s of jobs then I am all for it. The bridge is not worth it if it damages our economy.

[mobileal1]

I think its good news. Not if it is a parking lot further down I-10. I've traveled the route while the tunnels were clogged. It only took me about 15 minutes to get around....saved me time last summer and I think the article is right about it only adding 9 miles to the route. There just needs to be good amount of signs out to make it work. If this route will save 300+ million dollars in the local economy and 1000s of jobs then I am all for it. The bridge is not worth it if it damages our economy.

[MobileLSUboy09]

Its all about how tall the bridge will be. The northern route would be a waste of money because no one will use it until the tunnel is bagged up for miles. You really think ALDOT, of all transportation departments, will build the costliest route? Hell nah, I believe they just trying to shut everybody up until the study is done.

[elb401]

Well then I guess everybody agrees......the end of shipbulding in Mobile is near and limiting our port is the only way to get people from Texas to Florida. A huge problem is the water street entry ramps. That will be closed. I think the Northern route could work if done right. I really don't care if people sit in traffic for 20 extra minutes trying to get in the tunnel. But I understand the need for something to be done.

[mobileal1]

Well then I guess everybody agrees......the end of shipbulding in Mobile is near and limiting our port is the only way to get people from Texas to Florida. A huge problem is the water street entry ramps. That will be closed. I think the Northern route could work if done right. I really don't care if people sit in traffic for 20 extra minutes trying to get in the tunnel. But I understand the need for something to be done.

[nimsjus]

Well I think that one of the critical parts not being mentioned is that they are planning on forcing all truck traffic to the Northern Route. If there were no trucks allowed through the tunnels that would help with traffic and wrecks, while taking a pretty substantial amont of vehicles off of that stretch of interstate. I totally agree that most people will not ever use the Northern Route because they want a straight shot. I am the same way. It would help if there is some kind of electronic sign showing people travel times for both routes so they can make a choice if the tunnels are crowded. I like the visual of a big nice looking bridge adding to our skyline, but I do not want to put any lmit on what can be done at our port. No matter how big you build the bridge, at some point it will limit our port. People thought the Panama Canal was built absurdly large in its time, and now there are ships that cannot use it becuase of size limitations. You can never plan big enoough.

[elb401]

You know I've never heard that suggestion before......about the tunnel. But yeah the ALDOT really **cked up this one. If they had done this years ago the shipbuilding industry would have probably found a way around the bridge.

[nimsjus]

Alot of times I think I couldn't care less about congestion in the tunnels and Bayway. If somone wants to live over the bay, then don't complain that Mobile doesn't facilitate a quick and easy way for you to get back and forth to work. If you don't like Bayway traffic I have a novel idea, MOVE TO MOBILE! There are plenty of areas just as nice,expensive, pretty, and high society in Mobile as there are over the bay if those were the reason for moving over there. I use the Bayway to go to the beach a few times a year and to visit friends in Daphne. I never have a problem getting there so I have no reason to support spending millions to build a bridge that will hurt our economy. I did like the idea of converting the wallace tunnel into west bound traffic and just building a single tube for east bound traffic. I don't know why this isnt an option. Personally I think raising the Bayway to keep it safe from storms is much more important to the area than an extra way to get on the Bayway. If it were to go down like pcoal bay bridge and pascagoulas baybridge did in recent storms that would be devestating to the local economy.

[mobileal1]

Alot of times I think I couldn't care less about congestion in the tunnels and Bayway. If somone wants to live over the bay, then don't complain that Mobile doesn't facilitate a quick and easy way for you to get back and forth to work. If you don't like Bayway traffic I have a novel idea, MOVE TO MOBILE! There are plenty of areas just as nice,expensive, pretty, and high society in Mobile as there are over the bay if those were the reason for moving over there. I use the Bayway to go to the beach a few times a year and to visit friends in Daphne. I never have a problem getting there so I have no reason to support spending millions to build a bridge that will hurt our economy. I did like the idea of converting the wallace tunnel into west bound traffic and just building a single tube for east bound traffic. I don't know why this isnt an option. Personally I think raising the Bayway to keep it safe from storms is much more important to the area than an extra way to get on the Bayway. If it were to go down like pcoal bay bridge and pascagoulas baybridge did in recent storms that would be devestating to the local economy.

[BamasPort]

Let them stay were they are at, they complain more than we do. We'll take the new people that ThyssenKrupp and Northrop Grumman/EADS are going to bring in. Oh yeah, I forgot about the Alabama Motorsports Park.

[mobileal1]

I agree , It kills me on how the baldwin county forumers talk about mobile county as if it's some waste land on city-data . com forum s . I think it would better to add a third lane on both bridges and add another tunnel one going east and the other west.

[elb401]

Remember guys that bridges have to be built by digging holes. Probably right below the shipyards so your are looking at a possible year or two of shutting them down then even more years rebuilding. But at least that is still a temporary shut down.

But what could make the Northern route work.....which is done in other cities...during peak traffic hours or times of traffic jams they could create a detour at I-10 and I-65 and force people to take the 9 mile extension on the Northern route. Plus the on ramps from water street will be closed anyways. But there should be a bridge from the cochran bridge to I-10.