U.S. 280 widening begins this week

Steps to begin widening U.S. 280 start next week.

On Wednesday, June 24, Alabama Department of Transportation will begin work between the Cahaba River and I-459. Brett Sellers, ALDOT contact for the Birmingham area, said the project will take around 75 days.

“The goal is to be done this summer when the traffic volumes are down,” he said.

There will be some lane closures involved in the widening process, but roads cannot be closed until 7 p.m. each day. Roads also have to be reopened by 5 or 6 a.m., Sellers said.

Work will be done weather-permitting, but contingency days are built in to the 75 days for the project.

The expansion will create additional turn lanes. Sellers said there’s no way to know if the widened lanes will alleviate traffic issues on U.S. 280, but it should help make sure traffic won’t increase following the opening of Grandview Medical Center.

“It’s something that we’re hoping to offset some of the impacts of the hospital with,” Sellers said.