Portion of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd now two-way in Southside

If you’ve driven down Red Mountain on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard in the past couple of weeks, you’ve probably noticed a major change at the northbound split with 20th Street S.

As of Monday, September 23, a portion of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd between the 1600 block and Highland Avenue has been repaved and converted from one-way to two-way traffic.

Portion of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd now two-way traffic

As part of the city’s $12.9 million street resurfacing plan for 2024, a section of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd between the 1600 block and Highland Avenue have been repaved and converted into a two-way street.

Now, Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd changes into a northbound one-way after the Highland Avenue intersection and continues as a one-way until the Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd intersection by the Jefferson County Courthouse.

However, the section of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd over the Rainbow Viaduct over the Railroad Reservation has been closed to vehicular traffic since January 2022.

The change in traffic due to the two-way conversion includes one four-way stop to reduce traffic speed and enhance safety for pedestrians.

Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd isn’t the only street to be converted into a two-way in Birmingham. Earlier this year, the City of Birmingham received over $14.5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to convert historic 4th Avenue from a one-way to a two-way road.

Have you driven on the new two-way section of Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd? Tag us @bhamnow to let us know what you thought about the change!