Be prepared. Red Mountain Expressway North to I-59-20 North to close on Halloween

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Birmingham, Alabama, 20/59, traffic, roadwork, bridge
Photo by Katie Baggett

Got trick or treat plans this Halloween evening? If you normally use Red Mountain Expressway North to I-59/20 Northbound to travel home in the afternoon, be prepared to take an alternative route today and until further notice.  The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is closing the heavily travelled road at 4:00pm today, October 31 for bridge construction purposes.

Presently, all indications point toward  ALDOT  closing the major expressway on Halloween afternoon, despite confusing messages on the ALDOT 59/20 website and on social media telling commuters the expressway was going to be closed on Tuesday in the press release and Wednesday on Twitter.

Birmingham, Alabama, 20/59, bridge, traffic, detour, ALDOT
Photo via Katie Baggett

Bham Now can confirm (we actually travelled it!), Red Mountain Expressway northbound is currently open as of the morning of October 31st at 5:30.

Despite the typos, we should anticipate portions of the expressway to close in the afternoon.

Below is a screenshot of ALDOT’s 59/20 Bridges press release on their website:

Screen Shot 2018 10 31 at 4.47.13 AM Be prepared. Red Mountain Expressway North to I-59-20 North to close on Halloween
Screenshot of the 59/20 press release

Here is ALDOT’s Twitter message with the wrong date.

Plans for trick or treating? Go home early

Screen Shot 2018 10 22 at 9.14.44 AM Be prepared. Red Mountain Expressway North to I-59-20 North to close on Halloween
Halloween in Birmingham means lots of friends and lots of pedestrians walking in the dark. Photo via Kristen Green for Bham Now

Regardless, of the confusion, do make plans and take alternative routes home if your commute entails using Red Mountain Expressway North today for Halloween.  That also means, if you work, for example at St. Vincent’s Hospital or UAB and live on the eastern part of town, avoid hopping on the expressway after work today to make your way to 59/20 northbound.

Also, follow, the 59/20 Bridges Twitter page and the 59/20 website  regularly  for closure updates and when they will resume allowing traffic back on Red Mountain Expressway Northbound.

Pat Byington
Pat Byington

Longtime conservationist. Former Executive Director at the Alabama Environmental Council and Wild South. Publisher of the Bama Environmental News for more than 18 years. Career highlights include playing an active role in the creation of Alabama's Forever Wild program, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Dugger Mountain Wilderness, preservation of special places throughout the East through the Wilderness Society and the strengthening (making more stringent) the state of Alabama's cancer risk and mercury standards.

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