By Hannah Curran, Editor
TRUSSVILLE — Mayor Buddy Choat clarified his comments from the council meeting on Tuesday, March 8. The reconstruction on I-59 to close Southbound ramps to locals and one lane will remain open for 12 months.
A pass-through lane for the southbound lanes will remain open during the reconstruction of the I-59.
Photo courtesy of ALDOT
“What they’re going to do is the first part of the construction action like we said last night will begin on the southbound lanes,” Mayor Buddy Choat said. “One lane will always be open on the southbound while they’re doing the work to widen that side. What I was trying to say last night is the problem is that the exit ramps or the entrance ramps to get on I-59 Southbound from Argo, Deerfoot, and Chalkville Mountain will be closed. So anybody that gets on I-59 in Springville or above that will be able to pass on I-59 on the Southbound side.
Choat explained that the problem in Trussville is the “nightmare of traffic” on Highway 11.
Once the Southbound lanes are completed, then ALDOT plans to route the northbound traffic over to the southbound side and have one lane open, going both ways while they complete the northbound side all the way “through to Chalkville Mountain Road while they make the improvements.”
“We may have a little more traffic on Highway 11,” Choat said. “Just hope all this other work gets done before the end, but there’ll be a chance for input.”
Choat said that the Northbound lanes will stay open while ALDOT works on the Southbound lanes, and Southbound will always have at least one lane open.
“It’s just getting on I-59 from Argo, Deerfoot, and Chalkville Mountain Road that’s going to be closed,” Choat said.
Choat said that many people wouldn’t be happy with the reconstruction, but the goal is to fast-track the plan.
“The plan is to put this on the fast-track,” Choat said. “Normally, a project like this will take a couple of years to do. We want to have this done in 12 months if possible.”
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Trussville Police Chief Eric Rush said the plan for I-59 reconstruction and lane addition for 12 months is “insane.”
“That’s insane for 12 months, 12 months, no way I know Highway 11 will be gridlock bumper to bumper like a parking lot,” Rush said.
Rush explained that Chalkville Mountain Road is the busiest County Road in all of Jefferson County.
“The traffic count is huge on that road,” Rush said. “So all of that traffic is going to have to come to Highway 11. With all the traffic coming out of Clay, Pinson, Center Point, Grayson Valley, it’s just not going to work.”
Once the Southbound lanes are completed, then ALDOT plans to route the northbound traffic over to the southbound side and have one lane open, going both ways while they complete the northbound side all the way through.
“We may have a little more traffic on Highway 11,” Choat said. “Just hope all this other work gets done before the end, but there’ll be a chance for input.”
Related Story: Public meeting planned to discuss reconstruction, lane addition on I-59 in Trussville
A public meeting is planned to discuss reconstruction and lane addition on I-59 in Trussville on Thursday, March 24, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event will be held at the Trussville Civic Center. This will be an Open-House meeting without a formal presentation. Project information, including maps and comment forms, will be available for review. Representatives from the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Design Consultant will answer questions.
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced the opportunity to obtain information on Project Number: RACR-037-I59-010, the reconstruction and lane addition on I-59 from I-459 to CR-10 (Chalkville Mountain Road).
