BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06), who helped the Alabama delegation secure $519 million in federal funding for the construction of the Northern Beltline, is excited to see work resume after the project sat idle for eight years with a lack of funding.
“We’ve got it in Huntsville," Palmer said during a press conference Thursday. "We’ve got it in Birmingham, but we could literally have a technology corridor that would rival anybody else in the country."
The Northern Beltline is the largest uncompleted project in the Appalachian Development Highway System. The entire project is a 52-mile multi-lane highway that will run from I-59 in northeast Jefferson County to the I-459 interchange with I-59/I-20 near Bessemer.
Of the $519 million, about $150 million comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation. There are $369 million being funded by the Appalachian Development Highway System. Palmer said he’s been pushing for this project since he was elected to office.
“We don’t want to have the traffic congestion that Atlanta has or that Nashville has,” Palmer said.
“If we build this the right way, we can have the economic opportunities and maintain our quality of life -- maintain the beauty of our surroundings," Palmer continued.
The first phase will connect State Route 75 to State Route 79 to the tune of about $65 million, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation. The second phase will connect State Route 79 to U.S. 31 north of Gardendale.
The Southern Environmental Law Center and the Black Warrior Riverkeeper organization have concerns about the impact on the wetlands and tributaries.
“I just don’t know if the road that’s going to have to cross over 90 tributaries can be done in such a way that would not impact those tributaries and that drinking water,” said Sarah Stokes, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center. “There are certainly rigorous storm water controls that can be implemented that ALDOT has promised to do. Well, they did in the past in 2014, We’ll see if they do it again.”
“ALDOT is committed to addressing all environmental concerns,” said ALDOT East Central Region Engineer DeJarvis Leonard.
He said those with concerns will have the opportunity to come to the upcoming design hearing Aug. 27 and make comments. The meeting is to discuss the next phase, which will connect State Route 79 to U.S. 31.
The Southern Environmental Law Center has been opposed to this project for years. It filed a complaint on behalf of the Black Warrior Riverkeepers organization back in 2011 that a judge dismissed. Stokes said all options are on the table when asked if the Southern Environmental Law Center will file a complaint because work resumed.
The cost for entire Northern Beltline project is at least $3.2 billion, according to Leonard.