By Gary Lloyd
Progress continues on Alabama’s interstates as the Alabama Department of Transportation resurfaces 10 miles of Interstate 20 from Interstate 59 in Birmingham to State Route 4 (U.S. 78) in Leeds.
Phase II of the project, which closed the eastbound lanes of I-20 from Exit 130 to Exit 136, is now completed and open to traffic.
Plans are to begin work on the westbound lanes in the near future and details will be forthcoming with a detour route to be used. A $30,000 per day incentive/disincentive is included in the contract with the bonus to the contractor calculated upon completion. 
Plans are to do asphalt patching repairs on both eastbound and westbound lanes of I-20, which will involve having various lane closures from the I-20/I-459 interchange to the first Leeds exit (Bass Pro Shop exit). Following the patching of the eastbound and westbound lanes, they will be milled for slope correction and paved with asphalt binder, asphalt wearing surface and will then be re-striped.
About 74,000 vehicles travel each day past the Birmingham airport and continue on I-20 to the U.S. 78 exit that carries motorists to the Leeds retail outlets. The concrete and asphalt have worn out due to the heavy volume of traffic and heavy loads by large trucks.
ALDOT’s .6 million project will rebuild 9.8 miles of the interstate in both directions. The expected completion date for the entire project is early winter 2013. Motorists are requested to consider adjusting arrival/departure times, observe work zone speed limits and other work zone signs and use extreme caution in this area.
For more information, visit www.dot.state.al.us.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
