Huntsville updates

[HSVTiger]

yep, don't let this fool you or let aldot make people believe that they are doing us a favor. Decades of screwing us will take some time.
hey aldont start the Moores Mill/ Shields rd overpass, and County Line Rd interchange today!

[David1502]

The Madison County Commission has approved a project to extend Dunlop Boulevard from where it presently ends so that it will be a three mile corridor from Wall Triana Highway to Zierdt Rd. Here is the al.com link: http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/07/dunlop_boulevard_extension_to.html

The route description is as follows: "it will start at the end of the existing Dunlop Boulevard and turn north to follow the abandoned route of Dunlop Boulevard, through the middle of the Intergraph campus. The road will turn east, just north of the Madison Quarry and stay to the north of Mountain Brook Subdivision before connecting at Zierdt Road."

The reasons for this project are two fold:
1. To provide greater access to Intergraph's new headquarters building which is now under construction.
2. To provide access to the 260 acres which Breland Developers owns which is located just south of I-565 and west of Zierdt Rd.
"Madison County District 2 Commissioner Steve Haraway said at the July 17 meeting that the project can have a strong economic impact for Madison and Huntsville because the undeveloped land that can be accessed for the first time."

This is a pretty significant development and makes me think that something is in the works for the Breland land which was a hot topic in the news several years ago when Breland attempted to de-annex the land from the City of Madison and annex it into the City of Huntsville. When Madison got word of this, they put a stop to it - Breland solicited the assistance of then powerful State Senator Lowell Barron to pass a bill in the Legislature to make this happen. Shortly after this news, broke, Tampa based developers, DeBartolo Developers had plans to build a large mixed use center on this land with a strong retail component. The plans included an interchange at I-565 and Zierdt Road.

Also of note is that the widening of Zierdt Road has been the number one project for the City of Huntsville and now with ALTRIP funding approved, it seems this project should happen soon.

Even though no project has been announced yet, it seems pretty likely that something major is in the works as it is hard to see extending Dunlop Boulevard without a payback to the taxpayers.

[HSVTiger]

maybe not
aldont ineptness continues to hold Huntsville hostage

Plans to widen busy Zierdt Road and Martin Road west of Redstone Arsenal could be moving into the slow lane.

During a Tuesday news conference, Mayor Tommy Battle said the city may ask the Metropolitan Planning Organization to direct its latest share of state road construction money toward new Memorial Parkway overpasses at Byrd Spring, Lily Flagg and Mastin Lake roads.

Last week, Gov. Robert Bentley announced that Madison County would receive $50 million in the final round of the billion-dollar Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, or ATRIP. Huntsville originally intended to use its portion to four-lane Zierdt and Martin roads.

However, Battle said the city cannot afford to wait another decade for the Parkway overpasses.

"Like our partners on the Madison County Commission and in the City of Madison, we will have to use these ATRIP funds on the roads that affect the most heavily-trafficked areas," he said. "And for us, that priority is North and South Memorial Parkway."

Citing declining gasoline tax revenues, the Alabama Department of Transportation recently delayed about $450 million worth of Huntsville road construction projects. Planned Parkway overpasses at Byrd Spring and Lily Flagg road were pushed back to 2019; the Mastin Lake Road overpass was not listed in ALDOT's revised 10-year road enhancement plan.

Battle said Huntsville's portion of ATRIP money, along with about $27 million previously committed for Zierdt and Martin roads, would go a long ways toward getting all three Parkway overpasses built.

"We're going to have to re-prioritize," he said, "and spend our money where we can move traffic ... and make sure we keep that 18-minute commute to and from work."

Battle has become an outspoken critic of ALDOT's revised statewide construction plan, holding a series of "Restore Our Roads" news conferences at traffic hot spots around the city. Tuesday's event was held alongside the Parkway near Hobbs Island Road in deep south Huntsville.

While the mayor said he is "so thankful" to Bentley and state Rep. Mac McCutcheon for Madison County's $50 million ATRIP windfall, he pointed out that the area still has a long list of unaddressed traffic needs including extending Interstate 565 past Shields Road and four-laning Alabama 53 to Ardmore, Tenn.
HSV Times

[HSVTiger]

oh boy what a potential disaster, probably a play by china mart to get deal on another site

Walmart has applied for a building permit to turn the Mason Plaza shopping area south of downtown Huntsville into a 24-hour Supercenter.

City Councilman Bill Kling said the application is being reviewed by the city inspection department. Mason Plaza is located along a congested stretch of Memorial Parkway south of Drake Avenue traveled by more than 93,000 vehicles a day.

“A large Walmart Supercenter there is going to add extra traffic to an already dangerous traffic situation on the Parkway and Drake Avenue,” Kling said Tuesday. “It’s also going to adversely affect a stable neighborhood (Piedmont) that backs up to it.”

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

oh boy what a potential disaster, probably a play by china mart to get deal on another site

Walmart has applied for a building permit to turn the Mason Plaza shopping area south of downtown Huntsville into a 24-hour Supercenter.

City Councilman Bill Kling said the application is being reviewed by the city inspection department. Mason Plaza is located along a congested stretch of Memorial Parkway south of Drake Avenue traveled by more than 93,000 vehicles a day.

“A large Walmart Supercenter there is going to add extra traffic to an already dangerous traffic situation on the Parkway and Drake Avenue,” Kling said Tuesday. “It’s also going to adversely affect a stable neighborhood (Piedmont) that backs up to it.”

Oh joy...

[SpawnOfVulcan]

The Parkway is only, what, 4 lanes at that location (not including service roads)? It'd be a shame if the city let this development go forward; it would make traffic a total nightmare...

[JuanHunt]

The Mad Cty commission is going to propose that Hsv's share of the ATRIP money be about $15 of the $54million. How much does an overpass cost on S-Pkway where just moving the utilities will be expensive.

[Colin Giersberg]

Depending on the design of the overpass, length, width, height and whether there will be exit ramps, the cost could be more than the $15 million. Utility relocation will be extra if ALDOT requires the utility companies to move their services. If the utility company moves them on their own without ALDOT forcing them to, then there would be no additional cost.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Keep in mind that the ATRIP money requires a 20% match. Also, this article (LINK) says that ALDOT will be involved in allocating the money towards projects which are most in tune with economic development; so, I doubt what MadCo proposes will be what actually happens.

[JuanHunt]

When the new Grissom High school is completed, South Parkway immediately south of Weatherly is going to be the biggest traffic nightmare Huntsville has ever seen, twice per day. The current mess where the access road terminates at the intersection of Medowbrook and the Pway is barely functional as is.

Come to think of it, the bigger nightmare will be when construction starts and school is in session and the resulting mess involved during the 4+ year construction phase.

[Huntsvillenative]

Huntsville and Memphis must be twins. Neither city never gets anything right and have incompetent leaders.

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

Huntsville and Memphis must be twins. Neither city never gets anything right and have incompetent leaders.

Memphis and Huntsville are hardly similar...

[HSVTiger]

Originally Posted by Huntsvillenative

Huntsville and Memphis must be twins. Neither city never gets anything right and have incompetent leaders.

the leaders in Huntsville are very competent and doing a good job. The state on the other hand when it comes to roads is impotent.

[jhsv]

Originally Posted by stewdog1

Oh joy...

If they really want a supercenter in that area there has to be a better option. Kind of surprised it wasn't discussed as part of the old airport property plan. Not sure how much land is available where the mobile home place but there is a sign saying it is for sale and seems like that might be a better option.

[*BRAVO*]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

the leaders in Huntsville are very competent and doing a good job. The state on the other hand when it comes to roads is impotent.

Impotent or incompetent?

[SpawnOfVulcan]

Originally Posted by *BRAVO*

Impotent or incompetent?

Well both, as impotent doesn't only mean being incapable of procreation.

[*BRAVO*]

Originally Posted by quattordici

Well both, as impotent doesn't only mean being incapable of procreation.

I need a visual.

[JuanHunt]

Originally Posted by HSVTiger

the leaders in Huntsville are very competent and doing a good job. The state on the other hand when it comes to roads is impotent.

Why is Huntsville seemingly 100% dependent on the state for road funding? The need for overpasses on the Pway was recognized 40 years ago, the city could have paid for their implementation and the state would have allowed the city to do so.
The new Church street project has been stumbling along for over 14 years, all the while because the city is getting the money from the state and from federal grants. It might have been a good idea 10 years ago, and might still be, but now we've lost 12 years worth of benefit.

[*BRAVO*]

It really is up to the City of Huntsville to create its own way... depending on ALDONT for fair treatment will only leave you further behind.
ALDONT is clearly controlled by politics. It's certainly not responding to current congestion, anticipated congestion, economic development or existing tax base provided by a metropolitan region. It is fully entrenched in the 'good ole boy' system.

[stewdog1]

Originally Posted by jhsv

If they really want a supercenter in that area there has to be a better option. Kind of surprised it wasn't discussed as part of the old airport property plan. Not sure how much land is available where the mobile home place but there is a sign saying it is for sale and seems like that might be a better option.

There was a rumor that a wal-mart was planned for the old airport property. Let's hope neither come to fruition.