ALDOT releases proposed compromise on Cherokee Road, 280 intersection plan

In response to public comments, the Alabama Department of Transportation has revised its proposal for changes to intersections on U.S. 280, specifically those in Mountain Brook.

Revealed Jan. 24, ALDOT’s plan indicates that the signal at Cherokee Road and U.S. 280 will not be closed, but left turns and direct travel across the intersection will be removed. However, it offsets voiced concerns over forcing unprotected U-turns by adding measures of protection.

Lance Taylor, ALDOT’s preconstruction engineer for the Third Division, said in the revised proposal eastbound traffic on U.S. 280 will not stop because no movements will no longer occur across the intersection.

Traffic approaching 280 from South Cherokee Road that intends to travel across or west will use a new lane, proposed to extend from Cherokee Road to Rocky Ridge Road, to merge. An extended deceleration lane will be added to make U-turns at the Overton Road intersection.

A signal for westbound traffic will be added at Overton Road. The signal will be synchronized with the signal at Rocky Ridge Road to protect vehicles making U-turns.

“Overton Road is close enough to Rocky Ridge that we can coordinate the signals so traffic will not make an extra stop on 280,” Taylor said.

ALDOT’s revised proposal indicates it has studied the effect of the changes using more than 100 drivers not associated with the organization. After collecting data from these “test runs,” ALDOT reported the safety would be improved from it’s previous proposal, emergency access would be maintained and the intended goal – to reduce driver delays in peak hours – would be maintained.

Concerning the time required for Cherokee Road drivers to make the proposed U-turns, ALDOT reports each direction, whether at the Lakeshore Drive or Overton Road intersections, will require approximately 4 minutes.

The new proposal indicates two suggestions were submitted by the City of Mountain Brook on the initial plan, which was revealed in November 2012. The first was to leave the signal in its current state, and the second was to construct an interchange.

ALDOT’s report reads that if the signal were to be maintained, side street improvements would be needed, rights-of-way would need to be acquired and delays would be increased on side street traffic. It also reads that, if that were to occur, the proposal’s intended benefits would not be retained.

Regarding the proposed interchange, ALDOT reports the cost would be more than the budget for the initial proposed work to all 27 intersections.

ALDOT also reported it received comments indicating concerns about increased traffic on the Hollywood Boulevard interchange. Following studies of traffic making left turns from the Kovac Center/Hampton Inn and Office Park Circle, it released that an average of 25 vehicles would use Hollywood during the morning peak, and 37 vehicles would use it in the evening. Average wait times, ALDOT reports, were 1:44 for drivers from the Kovac Center and 2:17 for drivers from Office Park.

The City of Mountain Brook will hold a workshop on the revised plans on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at the Mountain Brook Junior High Auditorium, located at 205 Overbrook Road. The workshop is scheduled for 6 p.m. and, according to ALDOT spokesman Tony Harris, will be attended by ALDOT employees and representatives of Skipper Consulting, which is assisting ALDOT with the proposal. The workshop is open to the public.

The Access Management Presentation for U.S. Highway 280 is available by clicking on this link:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/mljk5jetxwr6m2t/280 Access Management Mountain Brook.pdf