[Surge0001]

Malfunction junction averages about 130k cars per day, while the Bayway averages 100k during the summer months. Malfunction Junction has 4 lanes going through between interchanges so that means that each lane averages 32.5k cars per lane per day, while the bay way only has 2 lanes making for 50k cars per lane per day. That over 50% more cars that the bay way handles per lane than malfunction junction.

[OldBankhead]

Originally Posted by David1502

Actually, the reason that the I-65 designation sign changed is because I-565 was opened and with that there was an actual U.S. Interstate Highway which traversed Huntsville. Up until that time, Decatur was the larger city which was on an Interstate.

Growing up, IIRC Nashville was on there for the most part. It seemed like Decatur was there for a few minutes but they still had Nashville on the smaller signs at entrance ramps. Then they changed them all to Huntsville.

[OldBankhead]

Originally Posted by deesonic

Yessir! State DOT's build and maintain highways within in their own states, including interstate highways. Understood. But typically ~75-80% of construction funding for new interstate highways comes from the federal government. And that's where our local politicians earn their paycheck. Bringing home the bacon.

I'm guessing his point is, it is up to ALDOT how that fed money is spent. I'm sure they have their influences, but I don't think who is the largest city is one of them. Who rolls the most tires is.

[OldBankhead]

Originally Posted by Surge0001

Malfunction junction averages about 130k cars per day, while the Bayway averages 100k during the summer months. That over 50% more cars that the bay way handles per lane than malfunction junction.

...during the summer months as you pointed out. They are going to look at yearly averages when prioritizing funds.

Originally Posted by Surge0001

20/59 isn't the only important interstate in Alabama.

I never said it was.

I said it was a crucial and very important section that was in danger of critical failure. That put it as top priority.

[Surge0001]

Originally Posted by OldBankhead

...during the summer months as you pointed out. They are going to look at yearly averages when prioritizing funds.



I never said it was.

I said it was a crucial and very important section that was in danger of critical failure. That put it as top priority.

The bayway still beats out malfunction junction by 10k for every lane used if using daily (85k)

[MardiGras251]

Originally Posted by OldBankhead

...during the summer months as you pointed out. They are going to look at yearly averages when prioritizing funds.



I never said it was.

I said it was a crucial and very important section that was in danger of critical failure. That put it as top priority.

Apparently it was so crucial that after the BP oil spill happened they used that money to build it. Funny how the bayway was “Alabama’s top transportation priority” until the bp oil spill. Even more funny that the reparations for that disaster mostly went elsewhere in the state.
https://www.al.com/news/2021/06/coas...e-project.html

The port is the heart of the Alabama economy. Without it Alabama moves totally backward . Over the next few years after baldwin joins back to the metro that will give metro Mobile a 50 percent population increase so maybe then we will have the pull we need to get things done since numbers and population seem to be the only way to receive validation on certain topics.

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by Surge0001

Malfunction junction averages about 130k cars per day, while the Bayway averages 100k during the summer months. Malfunction Junction has 4 lanes going through between interchanges so that means that each lane averages 32.5k cars per lane per day, while the bay way only has 2 lanes making for 50k cars per lane per day. That over 50% more cars that the bay way handles per lane than malfunction junction.

That's not correct. I-20/59 flowing into that interchange has an average traffic count of 120,000, while I-65 flowing into that interchange has an average traffic count of 117,000. That means as many as 237,000 vehicles passing through Malfunction Junction on a daily basis.

And that's only Malfunction Junction. A mile away is the I-59/20 interchange. There's not a traffic count directly adjacent to that interchange, but an additional 76,000 travel 280 about a mile away. Had you attempted merging onto I-59 from 280 anytime close to rush hour prior to the new construction, you would have a) had to sit in traffic and b) risked your life.

Further, that overhaul of the highway wasn't just about widening I-65 and I-59/20. It was about how well the freeways were feeding into the downtown area, which had been a complete nightmare. That's why, as one example, they eliminated the 22nd Street exit and replaced it with the 17th Street exit so that cars weren't backing up on the interstate. Or the 6th Avenue exit.

All of this is in response to Birmingham becoming a nexus for distribution. With the final completion of I-22 several years ago, the continuing surge of the auto industry in the region, and the rail/truck transfer facility in McCalla, the city is suddenly on the map in terms of warehousing and distribution, as evidenced by several huge projects being announced for the area. Those would have proved an impossibility had the I-65/I-59/20 interchange not gone through serious upgrades to accommodate resulting increases of traffic.

[Surge0001]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

That's not correct. I-20/59 flowing into that interchange has an average traffic count of 120,000, while I-65 flowing into that interchange has an average traffic count of 117,000. That means as many as 237,000 vehicles passing through Malfunction Junction on a daily basis.

And that's only Malfunction Junction. A mile away is the I-59/20 interchange. There's not a traffic count directly adjacent to that interchange, but an additional 76,000 travel 280 about a mile away. Had you attempted merging onto I-59 from 280 anytime close to rush hour prior to the new construction, you would have a) had to sit in traffic and b) risked your life.

Further, that overhaul of the highway wasn't just about widening I-65 and I-59/20. It was about how well the freeways were feeding into the downtown area, which had been a complete nightmare. That's why, as one example, they eliminated the 22nd Street exit and replaced it with the 17th Street exit so that cars weren't backing up on the interstate. Or the 6th Avenue exit.

All of this is in response to Birmingham becoming a nexus for distribution. With the final completion of I-22 several years ago, the continuing surge of the auto industry in the region, and the rail/truck transfer facility in McCalla, the city is suddenly on the map in terms of warehousing and distribution, as evidenced by several huge projects being announced for the area. Those would have proved an impossibility had the I-65/I-59/20 interchange not gone through serious upgrades to accommodate resulting increases of traffic.

Yes but you also add another 4 lanes of traffic which is still essentially 32k cars per lane per day. Birmingham isn’t the only warehousing/logistic hub for the state. Mobile is about to build the largest logistics park in the Southeast for a reason

[MinivanDriver]

Originally Posted by Surge0001

Yes but you also add another 4 lanes of traffic which is still essentially 32k cars per lane per day. Birmingham isn’t the only warehousing/logistic hub for the state. Mobile is about to build the largest logistics park in the Southeast for a reason

None of that is really an argument. All you're doing is moving the goalposts, since those additional lanes were built in anticipation of future traffic. Those bridges had to be replaced because they couldn't accommodate additional lanes and the entire original plan for Birmingham interstates was so bolloxed to begin with. Meanwhile, you're talking about what's going to happen in the future for Mobile, while the improvements in Birmingham's interstates were sorely overdue.

[MardiGras251]

Originally Posted by MinivanDriver

That's not correct. I-20/59 flowing into that interchange has an average traffic count of 120,000, while I-65 flowing into that interchange has an average traffic count of 117,000. That means as many as 237,000 vehicles passing through Malfunction Junction on a daily basis.

And that's only Malfunction Junction. A mile away is the I-59/20 interchange. There's not a traffic count directly adjacent to that interchange, but an additional 76,000 travel 280 about a mile away. Had you attempted merging onto I-59 from 280 anytime close to rush hour prior to the new construction, you would have a) had to sit in traffic and b) risked your life.

Further, that overhaul of the highway wasn't just about widening I-65 and I-59/20. It was about how well the freeways were feeding into the downtown area, which had been a complete nightmare. That's why, as one example, they eliminated the 22nd Street exit and replaced it with the 17th Street exit so that cars weren't backing up on the interstate. Or the 6th Avenue exit.

All of this is in response to Birmingham becoming a nexus for distribution. With the final completion of I-22 several years ago, the continuing surge of the auto industry in the region, and the rail/truck transfer facility in McCalla, the city is suddenly on the map in terms of warehousing and distribution, as evidenced by several huge projects being announced for the area. Those would have proved an impossibility had the I-65/I-59/20 interchange not gone through serious upgrades to accommodate resulting increases of traffic.

Distribution and logistics, one of the many hats of Alabama. We are just joining the party down in mobile . I believe we had the least amount of warehouse square footage out of all the major cities in bama. Mobile is finally piecing together additional parts to the road rail air and water access we have to make a pretty stellar logistics and distribution operation
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.al....outputType=amp