Road weary: Traffic delays ahead for area commuters

Published 4:00 am Saturday, January 12, 2019

A truck travels along Interstate 65

The Alabama Department of Transportation is advising motorists that the outside lane and shoulder of Interstate 65 northbound at milepost 329.5, between Exit 328 (Alabama 36) in Hartselle and Exit 334 (Alabama 67) in Priceville in Morgan County, will be closed Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,for installation of a pole, if weather permits.

Crews will also be repairing the guardrail on Interstate 565 eastbound in Limestone County on Monday, if weather permits.

The inside lane and shoulder between I-565 eastbound between I-65 and Mooresville Road will be closed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Motorists are advised to merge right, reduce speed and expect delays.

Area commuters who travel through Falkville should expect delays Tuesday. Crews will be removing the caution light on U.S. 31 at East Main Street/West First Street in Falkville. Motorists are advised to expect lane closures on U.S. 31 in either direction between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The caution light is being removed at the request of the city.

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Commuters traveling south will have to contend with ALDOTS’ continuing project to add lanes and widen bridges on I-65 from the State Route 3 Interchange (US 31 – Exit 238) in Alabaster to the County Road 52 Interchange (Exit 242) in Pelham.

Weather permitting, on Monday beginning at 7 p.m., there will be a traffic shift to merge the new inside lanes on I-65 southbound from the State Route 3 Interchange (US 31 – Exit 238) in Alabaster to the County Road 52 Interchange (Exit 242) in Pelham.

Once the traffic shift to the Northbound is completed, erosion control, grading, drainage and base and paving will continue in the outside lane areas both Northbound and Southbound over the next several months. At this time the next planned traffic shift is scheduled to put traffic into its final configuration (temporarily) in the Fall 2019.

All of the final remaining asphalt layers and final completion of the project is scheduled for the Summer of 2020.