Update to Perry Hill Road Interchange

by Ellis Eskew

The Perry Hill Road interchange project has been going on since February 2013.
For the past 20 months, the Alabama Department of Transportation crews worked to raise the bridge, widen lanes, and install new traffic signals.
And drivers say it can’t be done quick enough.

Yashica Kelly says, “It made it worse to me because all the construction that is going on. Traffic, lots of accidents, people trying to get through changes, everything making it worse. They need to hurry up.”

Some drivers say the whole construction project has been a headache.

“The construction like you never know when they’re doing it. At night, it was really confusing. You had to go down to gas station, turn around, then come back. But today I went through and I was like ok, they’re making progress,” said Beverly Stewart.

The latest progress is the exit ramp for I-85 northbound.
Instead of turning left to get on to I-85, drivers heading south towards Vaughn Road will now get in the right lane and  loop around under the bridge to get on I-85 north.

Confusing or not, drivers say they are looking forward to the whole project coming to an end soon.

“I think once they get through with it, it’s going to be nice,” said Stewart.

ALDOT says the project will be completed by November 21st or before.