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THE STATE OF ALABAMA. COMING UP IN THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST. WELL, WHEN BAD WEATHER STRIKES, NO ONE WANTS TO BE OUT ON THE ROADS, ESPECIALLY ON A STRETCH OF 29 NEAR DOWNTOWN WVTM13’S. LISA CRANE IS THERE NOW IN STORM COMMAND. LISA, HOW’S IT LOOKING? WELL, IT IS A LITTLE BUMPY. SO FOR ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAS PLANED THE ROADWAY. ALL THE LANES. THAT IS, TAKE A LOOK HERE THROUGH OUR CAMERA. AND YOU CAN SEE THEY’VE SCRAPED OFF THE ASPHALT TO EXPOSE THE CONCRETE UNDERNEATH. THEY ARE PLANNING TO REPAVE, BUT NOT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW. THAT HAS SOME MOTORISTS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS THIS MIGHT BE. IF WE GET ICE OR SNOW LATER THIS WEEK, SARA’S RESTAURANT JUST OFF 2059 IS A GOOD PLACE TO ESCAPE THE COLD FOR LUNCH. MANY OF THESE DINERS TRAVEL THE INTERSTATE REGULARLY. GARLAND ALLMAN OWNS A CLEANING SUPPLY COMPANY. HIS TRUCKS ARE DRIVING OVER THE ROUGH CONDITIONS EVERY DAY, WEARING TIRES OUT ON THE ON THE TRUCKS. WE GOT ABOUT TEN TRUCKS UP AND DOWN THE ROAD AND IT’S EATING THEM. TIRES UP. AND IF THEY CAN, WE TRY TO AVOID IT GO AROUND. BUT YOU CAN’T. WHEN THEY FOUND OUT IT COULD BE IN THIS CONDITION UNTIL SPRING, THEY WERE NOT HAPPY. WHY THEY DO IT NOW? YEAH. THEY SHOULD HAVE WAITED TO SCRAPE IT. IN THE END OF MARCH. WE ASKED THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ABOUT THE PROJECT. THEY SENT US THIS RESPONSE SAYING WE PLANED THE ASPHALT OFF THE CONCRETE PAVEMENT UNDERNEATH SO THAT WE CAN MAKE CONCRETE REPAIRS. IT WILL BE COVERED WITH ASPHALT WHEN THE WEATHER ALLOWS, PROBABLY IN APRIL, BUT WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ICE OR SNOW. SOME WORRY THIS ROUGH RIDE COULD TURN DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. THE SAFER THE BETTER, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS WEATHER OUT. SO JUST HOPE EVERYBODY’S BEING CAREFUL. MAYBE SLOWING DOWN SOME AND BESSEMER EVERYONE THAT’S ON THAT ROAD. ALLMAN WANTS TO SEE THE ROAD SAFE AND NOT HAVE TO REPLACE SO MANY TIRES. GET ON THE BALL, GET IT DONE. THEY GOT PLENTY OF TAX MONEY BECAUSE WE SEND IT IN. NOW, WE’VE BEEN DRIVING THIS STRETCH OF INTERSTATE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY, AND SO FAR HAVEN’T SEEN ANY D.O.T CREWS OUT HERE DOING ANY CONCRETE R
Asphalt project on I-20/59 near downtown could take months to complete
When bad weather strikes, no one wants to be out on the roads, especially on a stretch of Interstate 20/59 near downtown. For about 2.5 miles in both directions, the Alabama Department of Transportation has planed all lanes. That is, it has scraped off the asphalt to expose the concrete underneath. It is planning to repave them, but not for several months. That has some motorists concerned about how dangerous this might be if we get ice or snow later this week.The Sarris restaurant, just off Interstate 20/59, is a good place to escape the cold for lunch. Many diners travel the interstate regularly. Garland Allman owns a cleaning supply company, and his trucks are driving over the rough conditions every day. He said, “It wears tires out on the trucks. We got about 10 trucks up and down the road, it's eating them tires up. We try to avoid it, go around, but you can't.”When they found out it could be in this condition until spring, they were not happy. Jimmy Lovvorn said, “Why did they do it now? They should have waited to scrape it till the end of March.”We asked ALDOT about the project, and it sent us a response, saying, "We planed the asphalt off the concrete pavement underneath so that we can make concrete repairs. It will be covered with asphalt when the weather allows, probably in April."With the potential for ice or snow, some worry the rough ride could turn downright dangerous. Chase Cammack said, “The safer, the better, especially with this weather out. Just hope everybody's being careful. Maybe slowing down some and best to everyone that's on that road.”Allman wants to see the roads safe and to not have to replace so many tires. He added, “Get on the ball, get it done. They got plenty of tax money, because we send it in.”
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —
When bad weather strikes, no one wants to be out on the roads, especially on a stretch of Interstate 20/59 near downtown. For about 2.5 miles in both directions, the Alabama Department of Transportation has planed all lanes. That is, it has scraped off the asphalt to expose the concrete underneath. It is planning to repave them, but not for several months. That has some motorists concerned about how dangerous this might be if we get ice or snow later this week.
The Sarris restaurant, just off Interstate 20/59, is a good place to escape the cold for lunch. Many diners travel the interstate regularly. Garland Allman owns a cleaning supply company, and his trucks are driving over the rough conditions every day. He said, “It wears tires out on the trucks. We got about 10 trucks up and down the road, it's eating them tires up. We try to avoid it, go around, but you can't.”
When they found out it could be in this condition until spring, they were not happy. Jimmy Lovvorn said, “Why did they do it now? They should have waited to scrape it till the end of March.”
We asked ALDOT about the project, and it sent us a response, saying, "We planed the asphalt off the concrete pavement underneath so that we can make concrete repairs. It will be covered with asphalt when the weather allows, probably in April."
With the potential for ice or snow, some worry the rough ride could turn downright dangerous. Chase Cammack said, “The safer, the better, especially with this weather out. Just hope everybody's being careful. Maybe slowing down some and best to everyone that's on that road.”
Allman wants to see the roads safe and to not have to replace so many tires. He added, “Get on the ball, get it done. They got plenty of tax money, because we send it in.”