Alabama 19, September 20, 2023

September 20 2023

Vol. XXV • No. 19

ALDOT Plans to Build New $120M Interstate Exit in Hoover

Construction of the new Exit 9 on Interstate 459 in Hoover, Ala., is scheduled to begin in 2025 and be completed in 2027, Hoover Assistant City Engineer Blake Miller told the local chamber of commerce recently.

“It’s an aggressive time schedule, but that’s our hope,” he said, adding that the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) expects to open construction bids for the project

early that year, and construction is expected to take 18 to 24 months.

280 Living, a daily online news source for the communities along the U.S. Highway 280 corridor in the Birmingham suburbs, which includes Hoover, reported that the new interstate exit will be built around Mile Marker 9 on I-459 between the Morgan Road exit and John Hawkins Parkway exit, just a bit south of the

South Shades Crest Road overpass.

The project is expected to cost $120 million, with the city of Hoover picking up $61 million of the cost, and ALDOT using $59 million in federal funds. The municipality has already spent $5.27 million to buy 22 acres on the northwest side of I-459, and 31.3 acres on the southeast side, but additional rights of way will be needed,

Shinhwa Invests $140M to Expand Operations in Auburn

Shinhwa Auto USA Corp. is investing $114 million to expand its current manufacturing operation in Auburn, Ala., to support the production of electric vehicle parts, Gov. Kay Ivey announced recently.

The growth project will create 50 jobs and add a new 170,000-sq.-ft. production facility on the South Korean automaker’s campus in Auburn Technology Park West.

The expansion will be the company’s third since selecting the Alabama city as the site of its first U.S. plant in 2019.

“Shinhwa’s constant growth in Auburn demonstrates Alabama, through high levels of innovation and technical prowess, is preparing for an evolving future,” Ivey said in mid-August. “It’s a testament to the Auburn area’s workforce that this world-class company has once again decided to launch growth plans there.”

Established in 1995, Shinhwa is a leader in the production of aluminum die-cast parts for automotive manufacturers.

Shinhwa Supplies Parts for Other Asian Companies in Region

After the Auburn facility opened in 2020 following a $42 million investment, it began producing drive shafts for both the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama in Montgomery, and the Kia plant in West Point, Ga.

Made in Alabama, the news site of the Alabama Department of Commerce (DOC), noted that the South Korean company has since announced two expansion projects in Auburn, adding 90 jobs and an additional investment of $148 million to expand its output of aluminum parts and

meet future demands stemming from EV production.

“We are thrilled to be expanding our business yet again, building new state-of-the-art facilities in Auburn, Ala., where [we have enjoyed] a successful business operation since 2019,” said Kwi Hyun Lee, chairman of Shinhwa Group.

“As one of the most innovative industrial manufacturers of aluminum car components, we are confident that the momentum we have achieved will continue to meet customers’ growing demand for high-quality products,” he added.

Made in Alabama reported that with this new investment project, Shinhwa plans to increase capacity by expanding die cast operations and adding associated processes that are required to make control arm, knuckle, carrier, and motor housing covers in support of Hyundai, Kia, and other automakers in the United States.

The project also will support a new contract for EV parts.

“Alabama’s auto sector is experiencing a major growth spurt as the industry accelerates the transition toward an electric future,” explained Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama DOC. “We look forward to working with Shinhwa to advance its expansion plans and fully develop the growth potential of its Auburn manufacturing operation.”

Shinhwa is committed to creating 50 jobs over the next three years, with an average annual salary of around $48,000, Canfield added.

“Shinhwa’s story here in Auburn is evidence of the work generations of leaders have done to make our community not only welcoming but also fertile ground for businesses,” Auburn Mayor Ron Anders said in a statement. “We’re grateful for Shinhwa’s investment in Auburn and look forward to seeing them continue to thrive.” 

$27M Cargo Facility Being Built at Birmingham Airport

The Birmingham, Ala., city council cleared the final hurdles for building a new $27 million cargo facility at BirminghamShuttlesworth International Airport designed to handle shipping cargo to and from Germany.

The council approved vacating right of way at 1910 50th St. North to combine property for a new cargo warehouse at the airport, Al.com, a statewide online news source, reported June 6.

Marcelo Lima, vice president of planning and development at the Birmingham Airport Authority (BAA), who spoke to the council, said construction is now under way following a groundbreaking held May 24 for the new cargo facility.

The building will be used by Kuehne+Nagel, a Swiss global logistics company that launched transatlantic freighter flights to the airport in April.

“This has been a long-term goal of the airport and to see it all coming together is a huge win for our community,” said Darlene Wilson, chair of the BAA.

She added that the partnership between the airport and Kuehne+Nagel is poised to transform Birmingham into a long-term gateway to and from the Southeastern United States.

“We have the infrastructure in place,”

Wilson explained, “we have the best partners in the business, and we have the determination to continue building on what we established earlier this year.”

On April 2, Kuehne+Nagel began conducting flights twice a week on Boeing 7478F jets between Stuttgart, Germany, and Birmingham. In turn, the BAA will build and own the facility and lease it to Kuehne+Nagel.

The Swiss firm, which operates in nearly 100 countries, is now using a temporary hangar at Birmingham, but plans to move into the new facility when it opens in the spring of 2024.

Construction on the cargo facility is expected to last about 10 months.

The cargo flights between Birmingham and Stuttgart are geared toward the automotive, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries. Mercedes-Benz, which manufactures automobiles and lithium-ion batteries in Alabama, is expected to be one of the beneficiaries of the improvements in supply chain efficiency as a result of the new cargo building.

Currently, shipments are processed at a Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International hangar owned by Kaiser Aircraft Industries, with flights operated by contract carriers such as Atlas Air and Cargolux.

The cargo building now under construction at the airport will encompass a total of 53,000 sq. ft. (including 48,500 sq. ft. of warehouse space), and 17 bays in the loading docks. Additionally, there will be five airside bay doors, four roll-up doors — two for airside loading and two for ground loading — plus space for offices, conference rooms, restrooms, breakrooms and a mezzanine area.

In 2022, there were 1,564 air cargo operations at Birmingham moving 21 metric tons of goods into the region, the BAA noted. Shipments have increased substantially since April with the twice weekly international cargo flights from Germany, according to Al.com.

“This is great news for businesses in our region that rely on air cargo arriving in an efficient and timely manner,” Wilson told the Alabama news service.

The BAA’s deal with Kuehne+Nagel is part of a larger trend of freight forwarders increasingly directing international cargo away from congested U.S. hubs to secondary airports.

Wilson said the BAA’s central location in the state is ideal for building more cargo business because getting cargo out to customers will not be slowed by the conditions that exist at larger hub airports.

Hopes are that the new cargo facility will mirror what is happening in many other secondary markets across the country, BAA officials told Al.com, as smaller airports that have the infrastructure in place and the warehousing capacity are able to get cargo out to customers faster, cheaper and on a more predictable schedule.

“Our vision is to make Birmingham into a long-term gateway to and from the Southeastern corridor of the U.S. and we’re pleased to be able to provide customers with alternative options that support their supply chain needs,” said Greg Martin, senior vice president of air logistics at K+N, another Swiss company.

Kuehne+Nagel will subcontract warehouse operations management to ground handler Alliance Ground International.

The planned cargo facility builds follows the announcement earlier this year that Texas-based Million Air would invest a minimum of $32 million to add 94,000-sq. ft. of new development at BirminghamShuttlesworth International, with operations already under way on the airport’s eastside facilities. 

FIMI Drone Camera/Office of Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey photo The growth project will create 50 jobs and add a new 170,000-sq.-ft. production building on Shinhwa’s campus in Auburn Technology Park West.

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By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT

Phase II work is under way on a highly anticipated multisports complex in Central Alabama.

The Fields at 17 Springs, located just outside Montgomery, is the result of a partnership between the city of Millbrook, Grandview Family YMCA, Elmore County Board of Education, Elmore County Economic Development Authority and the Elmore County Commission.

“This project is going to transform the gateway into our city and Elmore County,” said Bill Myers, Grandview YMCA executive director. “It’s going to spur economic development and improve the quality of life for people in the area.”

The site, once a salvage yard, is being dramatically transformed after years of planning and coordination.

“This would not have been possible without the commitment of a lot of individuals,” said Myers. “It took five different groups coming together for the betterment of the community. They joined to make something nice for everyone to

enjoy.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place recently for Phase 1, which features two multipurpose fields, 12 tennis courts and a dozen pickleball courts. Phase II of The Fields of 17 Springs, a $76 million project, will include another multipurpose turf field located inside a stadium/event venue, a competition track with field events and six diamond fields for softball and baseball.

“This project has been in the planning stages since 2017, and to finally see dirt being moved is pretty exciting for all of us. It’s rewarding to tie it all together and give residents some high-quality facilities to use.”

Stone Building Company of Birmingham, Ala., serves as the contractor on the project, where site work is ongoing. Heavy equipment being used at this time includes excavators, dozers and dump trucks.

SS&L Architects was selected as the design team. According to the firm’s website, the new construction development will serve as a main attraction for the city of Millbrook as a new multi-sport complex. A main entry and concourse lead to a ticket booth, concession spaces, locker rooms, basketball courts, an indoor track and a football sta-

dium. A master plan was created that allowed for athletic field drop-offs and extra parking, a rerouted main road to reduce car speed for pedestrian safety, as well as improved walking trails and site connectivity. Added parking for food trucks and tailgating was also included in the blueprints.

The name 17 Springs, which now describes the joint development of recreational, entertainment and retail opportunities, dates back to an art festival that took place years ago on the YMCA property. The outdoor sports area was christened “The Fields at 17 Springs,” while the future event center has been named “The Fieldhouse at 17 Springs.” The adjacent commercial areas planned as a dining, hospitality, shopping and entertainment district will be known as “The Marketplace at 17 Springs.”

As work continues on Phase II, organizers are already looking ahead.

“Everyone is excited about what’s to come,” said Myers. “There’s a renewed interest in our community, and that means a great deal. People are happy to see this come out of the ground.”  CEG

Phase II Begins On Fields at 17 Springs Sports Complex New I-459 Interstate Will Relieve Congestion, Improve Safety

Miller said.

In addition to entrance and exit ramps, the project will include an extension of Ross Bridge Parkway from Alabama Highway 150, across the interstate and connecting with the intersection of Brock’s Gap Parkway and South Shades Crest Road.

Miller also shared with the chamber audience that Exit 9 will be converted into a diverging diamond interchange, or DDI, in which traffic on the connector road crosses at traffic lights on either side of the overpass to prevent vehicles from having to cross opposing traffic as it turns left to get onto the interstate.

There is only one other interchange in Alabama using a DDI currently, he noted, but others are planned.

“[They have] worked very well in other states around the U.S.,” he said.

Plans also call for auxiliary lanes on both sides of I-459 between Exit 9 and Exit 10 at John Hawkins Parkway, as well as ramp bridges over the CSX railroad tracks on the

southwest side of the interchange, and a 6ft.-wide sidewalk along one side of the new road between Ala. 150 and South Shades Crest Road.

Miller cautioned, though, that the project is still in the early design phase, and there may be some design changes before the first scoop of dirt is dug in two years.

But he added that the new interchange is badly needed to help remedy traffic congestion and delays along the corridor.

“Exit 10 is congested, to put it mildly,” Miller explained. “[Traffic] easily backs up a mile most days onto the interstate, and that’s not a safe situation. The highway is completely overloaded.”

The cause of the road congestion is due to the population of Hoover having ballooned 47 percent over the past 20 years, a factor that is not likely to subside, he said. Projections show the number of people in that area is expected to continue growing by 3.6 percent annually.

Additionally, I-459’s Exit 10 is used by motorists from multiple communities in the

Birmingham metro area, which includes Hoover, Bessemer, Helena, Alabaster and other unincorporated Jefferson and Shelby counties, Miller noted, and is simply “not adequate for current or for future needs.”

In 2010, the city of Hoover had a new interchange justification study done, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) confirmed at that time that a new exit was needed. However, the exit project was not a priority for the next Hoover mayor, and the effort fell to the wayside.

Current Mayor Frank Brocato revived the effort when he was first elected in 2016, and a new interchange justification study was completed and approved by the FHWA last November, 280 Living reported July 10.

More recent engineering indicates that an additional four homes will need to be purchased and the occupants relocated to make way for this project, Miller told 280 Living.

Some residents living near the proposed freeway exit project believe it would be better to use South Shades Crest Road as the new exit point, but Miller said that ALDOT

considered the road before deciding it was not the best option due to the amount of traffic already using it and the height of the South Shades Crest Road overpass.

April DeLuca, chair of the Hoover Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, told the group’s June meeting that she lives in the western part of Hoover and is extremely excited about a potentially easier way to get to I-459.

Greg Knighton, Hoover’s economic development manager, said construction of the interchange would have a $238 million economic impact on the metro area. Once it is built, it also will help move a lot of heavy truck traffic off Ala. 150, with a more direct route to I-459 for trucks coming from big facilities along Lakeshore Parkway, like the Dollar General and Carvana facilities.

Hoover

Jefferson

straddles

and Shelby counties just south of Birmingham and is the largest suburban city in Alabama as well as the sixth most populous. 

ALDOT from page 1

Stone Building Company of Birmingham, Ala., serves as the contractor on the project, where site work is ongoing.

This project has been in the planning stages since 2017.

The site, once a salvage yard, is being dramatically transformed after years of planning and coordination.