ALDOT to close Birmingham’s I-59/20 bridges starting Jan. 21

Starting Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, the Alabama Dept. of Transportation (ALDOT) will shut down the I-59/20 bridge system that runs through Downtown Birmingham for 14 months while it replaces the aging structures.

Designed in the 1960s, Birmingham’s Interstate 59/20 bridges were originally designed for a 30-year lifespan with a daily capacity of 80,000. Now, some 60 years later, daily traffic exceeds 165,000 vehicles, and that number is expected to increase to 225,000 by 2035.

After several years of stopgap repairs and additions and faced with no other options but to redesign and rebuild the brides, ALDOT has embarked on a complete overhaul. As a result, eastbound and westbound passthrough traffic on I-59/20 will be forced to use Interstate 459 (I-459), the bypass around the southern side of Birmingham and several other cities and towns in Jefferson County.

Please know that state and local officials have pledged they will do all they can to make this process go as smoothly as possible, but your help in getting the word out to your affected trucks drivers and employees is crucial and appreciated.

For project updates, traffic information and detours, ALDOT has created a comprehensive website to help travelers better plan routes and find answers to frequently asked questions. That website is https://5920bridge.com.

You can find more up-to-the-minute information about road closures and congestion by connecting with the project’s Facebook @5920bridge and Twitter @5920bridge accounts. ALDOT has also created its 59/20 Project Hotline at 205-346-5080 to help travelers navigate the area during the process.

For additional assistance, call the hotline at 205-346-5080 or email aldotinfo@dot.state.al.