ALABAMA STATE EDITION
231
65
72 Florence
2
Huntsville
20 Decatur
72
565 59
43
A Supplement to:
231
431
31
5
Gadsden
78 59 Anniston
20
Birmingham Bessemer
82 Tuscaloosa
65 280
20 82 Auburn
80
85
Selma
Phenix City
Montgomery
82
August 24 2011
65
231
43 84 431 331
84
84 52
Vol. XXIIV • No. 17
31
45
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.”
Dothan
65 98
Mobile
10
Your Alabama Connection • Rich Olivier, Atlanta, GA • 1-800-409-1479
Alabama’s Route 77 Converts From Two Lanes to Four “Upon completion of this work, motorists will experience a more efficient driving environment through the area by the addition of increased lane capacity to the roadway which should translate into less delay and more safety in the movement of motorists, goods and services through the area.” Johnny Harris ALDOT
By Cindy Riley CEG CORRESPONDENT
SR-77 provides direct access to the Talladega Motor Speedway, which hosts some of NASCAR’s most prestigious races attracting thousands of race car fans each year.
Despite rising temperatures, construction crews are continuing their work to upgrade a major corridor between I-59 and I-20 in northeast Alabama. When completed, the stretch of road will make traveling much easier for race car enthusiasts, while also securing the state’s reputation as a leader in automotive production. “SR-77 serves as a vital spoke in the wheel that moves the economic engine in this area of the state by providing access to manufacturing facilities and their suppliers,” explained Johnny Harris, first division engineer, Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). “One of the more notable is the Honda automobile plant near Lincoln which has suppliers and employees located
gram over the past several years. The current project is the latest phase ready for available construction funds. There will be more projects forthcoming in future years to complete the conversion of the existing two-lanes to a multilane roadway facility as funding constraints allow. State Route 77, also known as SR-77, is a north–south highway in eastern Alabama that runs from U.S. Highway 431 near Lafayette and ends at U.S. Highway 431 just north of Attalla. North of Talladega, it is known to many as the route that passes the entrance to Talladega Superspeedway, home of the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series races that are held annually.
SR-77 serves as a vital spoke in the wheel that moves the economic engine in this area of the state by providing access to manufacturing facilities and their suppliers.
throughout all of northeast Alabama. “In addition, SR-77 provides direct access to the Talladega Motor Speedway, which hosts some of NASCAR’s most prestigious races attracting thousands of
race car fans each year,” Harris pointed out. Improvements will be made to SR-77 by converting it from a twolane roadway to a multilane (four and/or five- lane) roadway. It has been a phased construction pro-
The original route of SR-77 was established in 1940, running from Lafayette to Ashland. By the early 1960s, the route was extended to its current boundary in northwestern Etowah County. Until 1985, the segment between Talladega and Lincoln was co-signed as Alternate U.S. Highway 231. The traffic-control plan for the ongoing construction does not reroute or detour normal traffic around the project, but provides for maintaining an 11-ft. (3 m) lane width in each direction, which dictates that wide loads over 11 ft. be detoured, and normal traffic may experience slow flow through the project at various times. Motorists will need to be alert to the project conditions and adjust their travel see ALDOT page 2