The Alabama Department of Transportation announced this week the start date for the 14-month I-59/20 bridge closures in downtown Birmingham.
Crews will close the bridges on Monday, Jan. 21, in order to demolish the existing bridges and build new ones. While the project is expected to keep the bridges closed for 14 months, the contractor has monetary incentives to finish early, ALDOT says.
The closure won’t directly impact through-trucks, which are supposed to use I-459 to go around Birmingham, but drivers delivering or picking up freight downtown will be required to take detours. A full list of recommended detours can be found online here.
ALDOT is also encouraging motorists to use I-459 and I-65 to alleviate congestion on downtown surface streets, so additional traffic volume is to be expected on those interstates as well.
