Birmingham City Countil approves big changes to the I-459 and Hwy. 280 interchange
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If you live in Birmingham, you’re no stranger to the woes and expletives caused by Hwy. 280. The City of Birmingham and ALDOT have officially teamed up in an effort to improve the I-459/Hwy. 280 Interchange.
Yesterday, Feb. 15, the Birmingham City Council voted to approve funding for a project that is supposed to improve the Interstate 459 and Hwy. 280 interchange. The plan is part of a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT).
Currently, drivers have to merge across multiple lanes to go West on Hwy. 280. The purpose of the plan is to create dedicated turning lanes for drivers headed towards the Summit, while maintaining a separate lane for drivers heading East toward Grandview Hospital. These new constructions are supposed to reconfigure the awkward interchange between I-459 going North, and Hwy. 280.
“This is a project that has been needed for a long time,” said Birmingham city councilorHunter Williams. “People who use the 459-280 corridor know how badly this has been needed.”
Danielle Moore, who has lived off Hwy. 280 for over five years is one of these people.
“I travel these roads daily for work and I dread it. 280 is always a parking lot when going to and from work. It’s a nightmare!”
Here’s the funding breakdown for the project:
- The City of Birmingham will contribute $457,377.46
- ALDOT will contribute $2,286,887.30
- A Federal match will contribute $1,829,509.84
When will construction begin? Just 60 days from now, which will be mid-May.
Hmm… more construction on the highways and interstates of Birmingham. When will the madness end?
According to ALDOT, the end of 2018. For this specific project anyway.
Traffic is not to be impeded during construction, but will the new plan really make Hwy. 280 less of a train wreck? What do you think?
