I-59/20 To Close In January For 14 Months

BIRMINGHAM, AL - If drivers think the construction on the Interstate 59/20 bridges have caused commotion and inconvenience the last two years, what is to come may make them long for what they have seen thus far. Starting in January, I-59/20 will close for 14 months as the final stages of the project take place.

A report by the Alabama Department of Transportation over the weekend said if the closures through downtown proceed on schedule, the interstate would reopen in March 2020, with the entire project expected to be completed by November 2020.

DeJarvis Leonard, ALDOT’s east central region engineer, said an exact closure date can not be announced yet because there are “many moving parts to consider,” but will be announced as the shutdown approaches. Once the bridges are shut down, the contractors will have 14 months to complete the project with a $250,000 per day incentive for finishing early and a $250,000 daily penalty if the project is not completed on time.

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Traffic from I-59/20 west bound (from Atlanta/Gadsden) will be detoured to exit at Carraway Boulevard and take Finley Boulevard around the city, either to I-65 at the Finley exit or to get on 59/20 at the Arkadelphia Road exit.

Westbound drivers wishing to enter downtown can take the 25th Street exit, or exit onto the Red Mountain Expressway. Those exits are expected to remain open throughout most of the project, though Leonard said some temporary closures will be required.

Eastbound traffic (from Tuscaloosa/Bessemer) will be detoured to the Arkadelphia Road exit to Finley Boulevard to Carraway Boulevard, where they can get back on the interstate. Eastbound drivers wishing to enter the city can still use the 17th Street North exit, or take I-65 South to 4th Avenue South.

To handle the increased traffic, an additional left turn lane has been added to Carraway Boulevard for drivers turning onto Finley Boulevard, and another right turn lane has been added to Finley Boulevard to turn onto Carraway Boulevard.

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