FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2015
 
Additional Martin Road ramp and lane closures ahead
 
HUNTSVILLE — The Alabama Department of Transportation advises that closures of additional access ramps between Martin Road and South Memorial Parkway (Alabama 53/U.S. 231) are possible before the New Year as part of the ongoing $53.9 million South Memorial Parkway improvements project.
 
Sometime Dec. 28 or later, contractors will implement the following traffic control measures:
 

• Reduction of Martin Road west of the bridge to one travel lane in each direction.
• Closure of the ramp at the southeast corner of the interchange, from eastbound Martin Road to northbound Memorial Parkway.
• Closure of the ramp at the northeast corner of the interchange, from northbound Memorial Parkway to westbound Martin Road.
• Opening of a temporary ramp at the northeast corner of the interchange (and incorporating part of the closed ramp) that will allow traffic from both westbound and eastbound Martin Road access to Memorial Parkway northbound.

 
Weather conditions will be a major factor in determining the date these ramp and lane closures take effect.
 
These closures and the closure of the ramp at the southwest corner of the interchange, from eastbound Martin Road to southbound Memorial Parkway, will remain in place for the duration of the project’s first phase, which has a completion deadline of December 1, 2017.
 
The ramp from southbound Memorial Parkway to westbound Martin Road will remain open. Motorists wishing to access westbound Martin Road from northbound Memorial Parkway will be able to do so by taking the northbound service road and making a U-turn at Golf Road, where additional traffic control has been placed to protect vehicles entering the southbound service road from the turn loop.
 
For motorists wishing to access southbound Memorial Parkway from Martin Road, the existing detour via Whitesburg Drive will remain in place.
 
The section of southbound Memorial Parkway from Martin Road to Boulevard South will remain reduced to two lanes for the duration of this phase of the project. Temporary, single-lane closures may still occur during work hours in other areas of Memorial Parkway.
 
At an undetermined date Dec. 28 or later, all traffic on Memorial Parkway will be shifted to the northbound side in the area of Members Drive. At another, later date, all traffic will be shifted to the southbound side. Two travel lanes will remain open in each direction.
 
Motorists are advised to expect delays in the project area, plan accordingly, and use alternate routes if possible. Please obey construction zone speed limits and any “stop” or “slow” instructions given by flaggers, and please be on the lookout for workers or construction vehicles on or entering the roadway.
 
The first phase of the project will construct service roads for Memorial Parkway and replace the Martin Road bridge and interchange with a wider bridge and elevated intersection. The railroad bridge will also be replaced.
 
In the second phase, which has a completion deadline of June 1, 2019, the Memorial Parkway mainline and overpasses at Byrd Spring Road and Logan Drive/Lily Flagg Road will be constructed, forming a continuous expressway between National Boulevard and Mastin Lake Road.
 
Joint venture contractors Reed Contracting and Miller & Miller may receive up to $2.5 million in incentives per phase for early completion. The contractors also face up to $2.5 million in disincentives per phase for late completion.
 
The project is part of ALDOT and the City of Huntsville’s five-year, $250-million joint-funding agreement.
 
# # #
 
MEDIA CONTACT:
Seth Burkett
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
North Region Information Specialist
256-505-4964
burketts@dot.state.al.gov

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