A Good Time To Buy B'ham Real Estate

[otterinbham 0]

When the Interstate to Memphis is completed, the city will suddenly have very convenient access to the Midwest. As a result, Birmingham should see pretty explosive growth as a distribution center, especially in the city's underdeveloped Northwest Quadrant. The area between Jasper and I-65 will be prime warehouse location, especially when you look at the area's proximity to a major railhead.

Something to think about if you have any extra money floating around. Here's the article from today's Birmingham News:

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26 miles of Corridor X to open Nov. 14

Stretch offers straight shot from Forestdale to Memphis

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

GINNY MacDONALD

News staff writer

State officials plan to open 26 miles of Corridor X next month, giving motorists a straight shot from Forestdale to Memphis.

A new 20-mile section of highway will open Nov. 14 from Industrial Parkway in Jasper to U.S. 78 in Graysville. At the same time, transportation officials will officially open a six-mile stretch from Graysville to Cherry Avenue in Forestdale that has been open to local traffic only.

"We never had a ribbon-cutting for that section," said Birmingham Division Engineer Brian Davis.

The opening will leave about five miles of the corridor leading to Interstate 65 in Birmingham to be finished, plus construction of the interchange at I-65, before the corridor is completed.

The interchange is estimated to cost $145 million.

Work is under way to widen I-65 from 41st Avenue North to 16th Street North in preparation for the interchange construction.

The interstate work, which is expected to cost $73 million and take two to three years, includes widening bridges, improving the pavement and constructing lanes along the three-mile stretch.

A second project to widen I-65 from 41st Avenue to Walker Chapel Road is scheduled to begin next year.

Davis said the additional I-65 lanes are a must, because traffic will be diverted as Corridor X is built underneath I-65.

The interchange will extend about four miles from U.S. 31 in Fultondale to 16th Street in Birmingham. I-65 will be widened to eight lanes with exit ramps leading to three-lane collector-distributor roads on each side of the interstate.

Alabama Department of Transportation Director Joe McInnes has said the corridor will be finished by 2010.

The corridor will become Interstate 22 when it connects to I-65. By then, the Alabama portion is expected to have cost $1.4 billion.

E-mail: gmacdonald@bhamnews.com