The city approves an interlocal partnership for interstate lighting project
Birmingham, AL – Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin recommended and the City Council approved Tuesday a cost sharing agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to improve interstate lighting.
“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,” Mayor Woodfin said. “This partnership means a better Birmingham for our residents and visitors.”
This $3.5 million endeavor includes the restoration and maintenance of the interstate lighting on I-59/20 from Tallapoosa Street to the I-59/20 route interchange. The city will invest $1.65 million and ALDOT will share the remaining cost.
Other areas being updated by ALDOT are:
- I-20/59 at Arkadelphia Road
- I-20/59 at the Ensley 5 Points Interchanges (includes Ensley 5 Points Ave West, 21st Street
- Ensley, and 19th Street Ensley)
- I-65 at Green Springs Ave
- I-65 at University Blvd
“We are very grateful to ALDOT for pursuing this work, and for participating in restoring these lights,” said James Fowler, director of transportation. Some of the needed repairs are restoring lighting due to theft of copper wiring.
“We are taking extra precautions to reduce the likelihood of vandalism,” Fowler said. “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.”
“ALDOT appreciates the opportunity to work with the City of Birmingham in order to get the interstate lights working,” said DeJarvis Leonard, East Central Region Engineer. “We will continue to work with them to ensure that the lights are functioning properly in the near future.”
ALDOT has already begun work on the project.
