DIGGER27
In Memory Of
Can you say nightmare?
Here in Birmingham like most cities we have our traffic problems but unlike some cities I have lived in there is usually some sort of overall logical plan that is used when roads are built or improved.
Here things seem a bit different, there might have been a little too much drinking involved or something because things don't seem all that logical to me all the time.
We have our malfunction junction, this is a main interchange where I65 and I20/59 all cross which are main thoroughfares which have about 260,000 cars travel through daily and at best during rush hour it is a parking lot, at worst, even at low traffic times it is dangerous and can kill you.
They have made improvements on this interchange over the years, or tried to anyway, but as it is now it is still a jumble of way too short merging lanes and unbelievable maneuvers that drivers are forced to attempt to get to where they need to go like crossing over several lanes of traffic in an insanely short space to get from one freeway to another or an exit.
If people were normal and acted logically this would still be a challenge, add in several idiots that drive too fast and are selfish or decide they are kings of traffic and can do what they darn well please this can make driving here like running a gauntlet of the insane that don't understand they are driving several thousand pound weapons of destruction.
I wish we had other avenues to drive on but in most cases, unlike in Kansas where there were a thousand other roads going every which way you could use if you had to, we don't have those extra roads in most areas.
So the powers to be have decided they are going to fix it.
They are building two completely new bridges that will make things better, they say, and a lot of the prerequisite site work is being completed.
Now the fun starts, the new bridges are about to be built in earnest so something great is about to happen, they are going to be shutting down the I20/59 bridges totally and completely in phase 3 of this 4 year project.
Imagine that happening in your town at your malfunction junction, half the access completely gone.
This phase is scheduled to begin in a couple of years, phase 2 is now starting which involves improvements of several access points and exits along these route and it is already causing some bad problems.
This is what happened when they shut down just one exit.
https://geekalabama.com/tag/interstate-2059-bridge-replacement/
This has to do with that logic again, maybe a little bit of that drinking too...and this stupid idea was the brainchild of the DOT.
And this is just the beginning.
The trucking companies are very concerned, they are only allowed to keep most of their trucks on the road for about 11 hours a day, even if they are able to travel a route that is still available the prediction is the time it will now take to get from point A to B if you are delivering in the affected area might be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled or more eventually.
If you want to try other routes it is possible...If you don't mind driving about 30 miles extra out of your way.
And those other routes, secondary streets and who knows where else these cars and big trucks will be traveling trying to get somewhere, maybe even through neighborhoods that never saw traffic like this before.
Also consider the businesses.
The airport is on a direct route for me along these affected freeways so if you want to fly in and visit me don't expect me to come and pick you up until I can figure out a hassle free route to get there when things get bad.
People are going to try to avoid lots of these areas like the plague so even if they are still accessible I have to believe there is going to be a big drop in business for several, some very popular restaurants among them.
I don't know many businesses that can survive getting cut off from their customer base for an entire year or more.
If you need to get to one I am sure you can find a way but as a whole people are going to think the hassle is not going to be worth it but we will see.
Below is a pic of what it is supposed to look like when this huge project is done.
For everything this city and it's people are about to go through for the next few years I hope it's worth it, I hope it actually does make things better but considering the track record they have trying to fix this thing for decades I will reserve my opinion until it is done.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/06/it_is_going_to_be_a_nightmare.html
Here in Birmingham like most cities we have our traffic problems but unlike some cities I have lived in there is usually some sort of overall logical plan that is used when roads are built or improved.
Here things seem a bit different, there might have been a little too much drinking involved or something because things don't seem all that logical to me all the time.
We have our malfunction junction, this is a main interchange where I65 and I20/59 all cross which are main thoroughfares which have about 260,000 cars travel through daily and at best during rush hour it is a parking lot, at worst, even at low traffic times it is dangerous and can kill you.
They have made improvements on this interchange over the years, or tried to anyway, but as it is now it is still a jumble of way too short merging lanes and unbelievable maneuvers that drivers are forced to attempt to get to where they need to go like crossing over several lanes of traffic in an insanely short space to get from one freeway to another or an exit.
If people were normal and acted logically this would still be a challenge, add in several idiots that drive too fast and are selfish or decide they are kings of traffic and can do what they darn well please this can make driving here like running a gauntlet of the insane that don't understand they are driving several thousand pound weapons of destruction.
I wish we had other avenues to drive on but in most cases, unlike in Kansas where there were a thousand other roads going every which way you could use if you had to, we don't have those extra roads in most areas.
So the powers to be have decided they are going to fix it.
They are building two completely new bridges that will make things better, they say, and a lot of the prerequisite site work is being completed.
Now the fun starts, the new bridges are about to be built in earnest so something great is about to happen, they are going to be shutting down the I20/59 bridges totally and completely in phase 3 of this 4 year project.
Imagine that happening in your town at your malfunction junction, half the access completely gone.
This phase is scheduled to begin in a couple of years, phase 2 is now starting which involves improvements of several access points and exits along these route and it is already causing some bad problems.
This is what happened when they shut down just one exit.
https://geekalabama.com/tag/interstate-2059-bridge-replacement/
This has to do with that logic again, maybe a little bit of that drinking too...and this stupid idea was the brainchild of the DOT.
And this is just the beginning.
The trucking companies are very concerned, they are only allowed to keep most of their trucks on the road for about 11 hours a day, even if they are able to travel a route that is still available the prediction is the time it will now take to get from point A to B if you are delivering in the affected area might be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled or more eventually.
If you want to try other routes it is possible...If you don't mind driving about 30 miles extra out of your way.
And those other routes, secondary streets and who knows where else these cars and big trucks will be traveling trying to get somewhere, maybe even through neighborhoods that never saw traffic like this before.
Also consider the businesses.
The airport is on a direct route for me along these affected freeways so if you want to fly in and visit me don't expect me to come and pick you up until I can figure out a hassle free route to get there when things get bad.
People are going to try to avoid lots of these areas like the plague so even if they are still accessible I have to believe there is going to be a big drop in business for several, some very popular restaurants among them.
I don't know many businesses that can survive getting cut off from their customer base for an entire year or more.
If you need to get to one I am sure you can find a way but as a whole people are going to think the hassle is not going to be worth it but we will see.
Below is a pic of what it is supposed to look like when this huge project is done.
For everything this city and it's people are about to go through for the next few years I hope it's worth it, I hope it actually does make things better but considering the track record they have trying to fix this thing for decades I will reserve my opinion until it is done.
http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/06/it_is_going_to_be_a_nightmare.html
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