It was standing room only at the Gardendale Civic Center on August 27 as the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) hosted a public forum and design hearing to gather community input on the next phase of the Birmingham Northern Beltline.
An estimated crowd over 600 residents, first responders, business leaders and area officials attended the hearing to review project information, watch a video presentation, ask questions and discuss the Northern Beltline with ALDOT staff.
“The turnout was tremendous,” said East Central Region Engineer DeJarvis Leonard. “Our goal was to give as many people as possible the opportunity to voice their opinions and ask questions, and I believe we certainly achieved that goal.”
When completed, the Northern Beltline will be a 52-mile interstate connecting the I-459 interchange with I-59/20 near Bessemer to I-59 in northeast Jefferson County, providing Birmingham with a “northern loop” to go along with its I-459 “southern loop,” which was completed in the 1980s.
The segment of the project that was discussed at the public meeting in Gardendale concerned nine miles between US-31 and SR-79. The initial build will be four lanes with a median barrier separating two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction. ALDOT anticipates completing necessary studies by early 2025 and beginning right of way (ROW) activities by mid-2025. Construction of this nine mile segment is expected to begin in early 2026.
Eighteen citizens signed up to speak during the public hearing, of which 15 spoke in favor of the project.
One of them was Congressman Gary Palmer, who’s district the project falls in and who helped to secure funding for the project.
“I think it’s extremely important that we build this roadway and that we do it in a way that we preserve our quality of life. I don’t mean just our economic viability but the beauty, the natural beauty that we have in this area,” said Congressman Palmer. “I know this is not incompatible — to have excellent infrastructure, excellent economic opportunity and still maintain a high quality of life, and that includes our ability to enjoy the outdoors.”
Jon Lord, Fire Chief of the Rocky Ridge Fire District and President of the Jefferson County Association of Fire Departments, also spoke in favor of the Northern Beltline at the hearing. “We are very supportive of this because the transport times from one location to another make a huge difference,” Chief Lord said. “Saving lives is a matter of seconds, so certainly 10 minutes will make a huge difference.”
