Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Local news

Birmingham City OKs $3.5 million cost-sharing agreement with ALDOT

Primary areas for the repairing and restoration of lighting systems are from Tallapoosa Street to the I-59/20 interstate route interchange.

STOCK

$3.5 million in state and local funds was approved by the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday for restoration work and maintenance work on interstate lighting systems along the I-59/20 interstate corridor.

The cost-sharing agreement approved Tuesday allocates $1.65 million in city funds for the lighting project, which is already underway, according to the Birmingham mayor’s office, with the Alabama Department of Transportation financing the remaining $1.85 million.

Mayor Randall Woodfin, who recommended the agreement to the city council, stressed the importance of proper lighting in Birmingham.

“It is important that our city highways and roadways have proper lighting for safety’s sake, ease of navigation and also to display the beauty of all that makes Birmingham great,” Woodfin said in a statement Tuesday. “This partnership means a better Birmingham for our residents and visitors.”

Primary areas for the repairing and restoration of lighting systems are from Tallapoosa Street to the I-59/20 interstate route interchange.

Repairs to the lighting systems include the repairs to lighting rendered unusable by theft of copper wiring, according to the mayor’s office. Aluminum wiring and vandal-proof rebuilds for the high-mast lights are two solutions brought forward by city officials to address potential copper thievery in the future.

“We are taking extra precautions to reduce the likelihood of vandalism,” Said James Fowler, director of transportation for Birmingham, in a statement Tuesday. “While no system is foolproof, we are switching to aluminum wiring and are also rebuilding the system in a way that will make the wiring more difficult to remove and have virtually no salvage value.”

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Other areas being updated by ALDOT include:

  • I-20/59 at Arkadelphia Road.
  • I-20/59 at the Ensley 5 Points Interchanges (including 5 Points Ave West, 21st Street, and 19th Street).
  • I-65 at Green Springs Ave.
  • I-65 at University Blvd.

John is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can contact him at [email protected] or via Twitter.

More from APR

Congress

The grant will enable BJCTA to adopt cutting-edge technologies and cleaner energy solutions, including hydrogen fuel cell buses.

Municipal elections

Joe May, an educator and urban farmer, launched his campaign with a community-centered kickoff.

Local news

The project will transform an inactive rail line into a 4.5-mile recreational path connecting west Birmingham residents.

State

On September 15, 1963, a Birmingham police officer shot and killed Black teen Johnnie Robinson, a tragic event that unfolded hours after a church...