Interstate 85 widening project in Montgomery to start
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – The Alabama Department of Transportation is ready to start widening Interstate 85 in Montgomery from Taylor Road eastward to Jenkins Creek.
ALDOT says the interstate will be widened from two lanes to three lanes in each direction, extending from the end of the existing three-lane section at Taylor Road to the creek, which is just east of the Chantilly Parkway exit, which is Exit 11.
Construction is scheduled to start Monday, October 5. Before it begins, utility relocations will require rolling roadblocks on I-85. Those rolling roadblocks will take place on an early Sunday morning. ALDOT says it will announce the date once it is confirmed.
In addition to improving overall traffic capacity on I-85, the project includes replacing four bridges along I-85, two over Chantilly Parkway and two over the Kershaw Railroad. Improvements to Chantilly Parkway will feature increased lane widths and an additional left-turn lane for drivers accessing I-85 South.
As construction begins, there will be temporary traffic pattern changes at the Chantilly Parkway interchange, which is Exit 11. While drivers exiting I-85 will continue to have full left-turn access from the interstate exit ramps, left turns from Chantilly Parkway onto the interstate entrance ramps will be temporarily restricted.
Westbound traffic on Chantilly Parkway seeking access to I-85 South will continue to Arrowhead Drive, make a U-turn, and return eastbound to the entrance ramp. A temporary signal will be installed at Arrowhead Drive to facilitate traffic flow. Eastbound traffic seeking access to I-85 North will use the existing U-turn at Eastchase Parkway before returning westbound to the entrance ramp.
ALDOT says lane closures will be limited to evening hours on Sundays through Thursdays, 7PM to 5AM. The public will be notified ahead of time of any planned exceptions.
Drivers can travel underneath the I-85 bridges throughout most of the project. Future bridge replacement activities will require temporary weekend closures of Chantilly Parkway. ALDOT says it will provide advance notice to the public before any closures take effect.
The approximately $71 million project was awarded to APAC-Alabama, Inc., of Birmingham, with an estimated three and-a-half years until completion.
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