The Alabama Department of Transportation held a public hearing Nov. 19 where it announced proposals to alter 26 intersections along U.S. Highway 280 to improve traffic flow. Here, find the proposed plan for each intersection and see how you could be affected if the plans are approved.
- Kovac Center / Hampton Inn – Widen left turn lanes, remove the signal at this intersection and install a concrete island in the center of the highway that prevents traffic from traveling directly across the highway or making left turns from side streets.
- Office Park – Eliminate direct travel across intersection. Extend left turn lane from 280 West to Office Park Drive.
- Lakeshore Parkway to Office Park Drive – Adjust lane structure to allow auxiliary lane from Lakeshore to connect to Office Park.
- Cherokee Road – Remove eastbound signal. Extend grass median through center of intersection. Eliminate left turn from side streets to US-280 eastbound and westbound. Eliminate left turn from Cherokee Road South to US-280 westbound.
- Water Works Median Opening – Widen eastbound pavement to create U-turn lane.
- Green Valley Road – Install “Alabama T” intersection. Remove eastbound signal. Widen pavement into median to create eastbound acceleration lane.
- Brookwood Green Trace West – Install concrete island to eliminate turning left from Brookwood Green Trace onto 280 East.
- Cahaba Ridge Road / Dolly Ridge Road – Widen pavement to add third left turn lane from Cahaba River Road to 280 West.
- Chevron median intersection – Eliminate left turns from Chevron parking lot onto 280 West by extending grass median into intersection.
- Summit Boulevard – Eliminate direct travel across intersection.
- Grandview Parkway / Perimeter Park South (West) – Install concrete median to eliminate direct travel across, left turns from 280 East to Grandview Parkway and from 280 West to Perimeter Park.
- Perimeter Park South (East) – Install “Alabama T” intersection. Install concrete island and widen pavement to add acceleration lane when turning from Perimeter Park onto 280 West.
- Grandview Parkway (East) – Eliminate direct travel across intersection. Widen pavement to add second turn lanes from Grandview South onto 280 West and from 280 East to Grandview North. Eliminate median opening east of intersection.
- Cahaba Road / Fire Station – Eliminate left turns from Cahaba Road to 280 West. Signal will flash until needed by Fire Department.
- Riverview Road – Widen pavement to add second left turn lane from 280 West to Riverview Road.
- Cahaba Park Circle (West) – Eliminate direct travel across intersection. Add second left turn lane from access road to 280 West. Eliminate left turns from US-280 eastbound to Cahaba Park Circle.
- Cahaba Park Circle (East) – Eliminate direct travel across intersection between Cahaba Park Circle to Key Drive. Add second turn lane from Cahaba Park Circle to 280 East. Eliminate western 280 access opening from Riverview Animal Clinic. Eliminate left turns from US-280 westbound to Key Drive.
- Resource Center Drive – Add grass median to eliminate travel across intersection and prevent left turns from 280 East to north side of highway.
- Inverness Parkway – Eliminate direct travel across intersection. Add third left turn lane from Inverness Parkway to 280 West.
- Inverness Center Drive / Greenhill Parkway – Eliminate direct travel across intersection. Widen pavement to add second left/U-turn lanes on 280 East and West.
- Valleydale Road / Cahaba Beach Road – Allow left turns from Valleydale and Cahaba Beach Roads to occur simultaneously with left turns from 280 East and West by installing a “Michigan Left”. When on US-280 eastbound and westbound drivers attempting to turn left onto Valleydale and Cahaba Beach Roads will be directed straight through the intersection and directed into U-turn lanes within a quarter mile. When the signal at the U-turn turns green, they complete the U-turn and go back to the Valleydale intersection and make a right turn. Requires pavement extensions for widened U-turn lanes and installation of concrete median.
- Brook Highland Parkway / Meadow Brook Drive – Extend left turn lanes from 280 East onto Brook Highland Parkway. Eliminate median opening for 280 West traffic to access Meadowview Drive.
- Corporate Parkway – Eliminate direct travel across intersection. Add second left turn lanes onto 280 East and West.
- Meadowlark Drive – Extend grass medians to limit access points from business parking lots connected to highway. Install concrete island in median to eliminate left turns from both side streets to US-280 eastbound and westbound.
- RaceWay / Walmart – Extend grass shoulder to remove direct highway access from RaceWay parking lot to US-280.
- Hugh Daniel Drive – Extend pavement for easier left turns.
Information confirmed by ALDOT Division 3 Engineer Brian Davis and Preconstruction Engineer Lance Taylor.