This isn't a roadtrip report per-se, but instead is a report on a public meeting about whether to widen I-20/59 between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, from December 14, 2000.
Went to a "Public Involvement Meeting" hosted by Birmingham's MPO on a
proposed widening project on I-20/59. The main reason behind the meeting was to
get public input on whether the project should be added to the MPO's TIP, and
the 20-year Transportation Plan.
As proposed (and assuming approval), the project would widen I-20/59 to 6 lanes
(3 each direction) between Valley Road in western Birmingham (where the current
6-lane section ends) and Exit 100 near the Tuscaloosa/Jefferson County line,
about 18 miles. Two main impetuses behind the widening are mushrooming traffic
volumes (some sections are increasing at 4% per year), and safety. From 1997
through 1999, there were 959 accidents in the corridor (averaging almost 1 a
day). 250 of those accidents involved injuries, and there were 17 fatal
accidents in those 3 years. Also, the section has no median barrier. Estimated
cost of widening all 18 miles is about $65 million, and would begin (if all goes
well) in 2002.
This widening is part of a larger project that would widen I-20/59 to 6 lanes
all the way down to Exit 62/Fosters (just SW of Tuscaloosa). The meeting dealt
with the Birmingham MPO's section, which ends at Exit 100. The rest would fall
under ALDOT and Tuscaloosa MPO.
Also, talking with one of the ALDOT employees at the meeting, I found that ALDOT
is proposing widening I-20/59 to 6 lanes the full length between Birmingham and
Montgomery. I also found out that the "Northern Beltline" plan has recently been
extended south from I-59 to I-20 near Leeds (got that Andy?), and the
feasibility study for extending Corridor X to I-20/59 isn't so much to determine
if it should be put it, but if it CAN be put in. The area the extension would go
through has a lot of potential soil contamination.
One more note (for Alex and company), another ALDOT employee was asking where my
webpage was, since I'd mentioned it a couple times. First she asked if it was
aaroads.com, but when I pointed out mine, she said she'd seen that one as well.
End result: there's at least one ALDOT employee that checks both my page and
aaroads.com on a regular basis...:o)
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