Traffic on I-20/59 Got You Down? Here’s an Update
If you drive through downtown Birmingham, you’ve probably seen the huge beams and cranes towering over the interstate or perched off the side of the roadway.
Crews have been working now for more than two years on bridge replacement and lane realignment on Interstate 20/59 in downtown Birmingham. That’s where 20/59 meet Red Mountain Expressway. The project costs more than $750 million – shared by the State of Alabama and the federal government
The end of the project is still more than two years away – November 2020 to be exact.
DeJarvis Leonard is the lead engineer on the project for the Alabama Department of Transportation, or ALDOT. The project team often assembles in a trailer on Carraway Boulevard near the central business district, or CBD.
The biggest disruption to traffic is yet to come, he says. That’ll be when the downtown bridges close this fall.
Other changes such as lane additions and wideningthe I-65 ramps and Red Mountain Expressway will be finished before this fall, Leonard says.
“This will be adding an additional lane on 59/20 as you’re coming around off Red Mountain Expressway,” project manager Adam Patterson says. “So, as you come off Red Mountain Expressway, you won’t have to merge as quick. You’ll be able to stay in the lane you’re in.”
Engineers say they face tight deadlines to complete the project. If deadlines are missed, there will be penalties for the contractors. There’s also another unwritten deadline – the World Games. Birmingham is expecting a huge increase in traffic in 2021 when it hosts the games. State and local officials have said they want all of the highway work completed before visitors arrive.
Foreign nationals propel U.S. science. Visa limits under Trump could change that
The incoming Trump administration is likely to crack down on the H-1B visas used by tech companies and research institutions to hire top talent from other countries.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Are you a caregiver for an adult? How has it changed you?
Many who care for family members and loved ones at home say it can be very stressful but also rich in meaning. Share your story and insights.
MF DOOM’s music was his legend. The man himself was the myth
The late rapper's 2004 album MM..FOOD may never have the classic status of its sister release, Madvillainy. But 20 years later, it's the one to play if you want to hear the essence of his artistry.
Here’s how Trump and the GOP may try to weaken Obamacare
Republican control of the White House and Congress sets the stage for potentially seismic changes including curtailing Medicaid, weakening patient protections, and increasing premium costs for millions.
Richer countries are starting to pay poorer ones for climate change damages
With climate-related disasters getting more extreme, richer countries are piloting ways to compensate developing nations, since they bear the least responsibility for causing climate change.
