Photo by Erin Nelson
Motorists travel east and west on U.S. 280 between Perimeter Park and The Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. The portion of U.S. 280 from Lakeshore Parkway in Homewood to Perimeter Park is slated for expansion to four lanes.
As the area awaits the start of a long-planned expansion of U.S. 280, some residents who live near the construction zone still have questions about how the project will affect their daily lives — both during construction and after completion.
The Alabama Department of Transportation project, which has been in development for several years, includes resurfacing and widening sections of the highway from Rosedale Drive in Homewood to just past Interstate 459. Another major component is the replacement of the Pump House Road bridge.
Lura Denson, a Mountain Brook resident who lives near the bridge, said she has had questions throughout the planning process that remain unanswered.
“Nobody’s taken into account the residents and anybody else around it, and that’s sad,” said Denson, who has two young children.
One of her biggest concerns is the potential increase in vehicle speeds through residential areas once the bridge is widened. During construction, the old bridge will remain in place but will be reduced to a single lane.
“They’re keeping it open, per se, but it’s one lane, that’s it,” Denson said. She added that new turn lanes in the expansion will force drivers into faster-moving traffic, creating additional hazards. “Now what ends up happening is you have people going over 40 miles per hour, which they already do in our neighborhood.”
Denson also fears the loss of natural noise barriers and increased traffic congestion due to the widening. The removal of trees and other vegetation along the roadside, she said, is expected to amplify noise pollution and impact nearby homes.
“They are taking out 25 to 30 feet of trees now that were helping all of us keep our privacy and our quiet,” Denson said.
Efforts to obtain updated information on the project have proven difficult, Denson said, adding that she has reached out to city officials and state legislators regarding the timeline and scope of the expansion.
“They’ve not updated anybody,” she said.
Bids for the project were expected in February, but Denson said neither she nor her neighbors have received word on any progress.
The expansion’s impact on daily routines is another pressing issue for nearby residents. Current traffic patterns already make it difficult for homeowners to navigate their neighborhoods safely, Denson said.
“The worst part is, I can barely get out of my driveway in the mornings to take my children to school,” she said. “It’s not even the amount of cars, it’s the speed.”
Many residents, including Denson, have called for additional traffic-calming measures such as stop signs and lower speed limits. However, they say those concerns have largely gone unaddressed.
“I should be able to walk on my residential road without fear of getting nailed by a car,” Denson said.
According to ALDOT, the project will be completed in phases, though a timeline has not been determined. The phases include:
Resurfacing of both directions of U.S. 280 from Rosedale Drive to Lakeshore Drive.
Widening of U.S. 280 in both directions from Lakeshore Drive to I-459.
Resurfacing of U.S. 280 from I-459 to the Cahaba River near Grandview Medical Center.
Replacement of the Pump House Road bridge.
Residents remain concerned about the lack of communication and the project’s potential impact, but for now, they are left waiting for updates.
