A major upgrade in infrastructure is taking place in the Birmingham area. The Northern Beltline, a soon-to-be-completed 52-mile-long interstate, will stretch from Interstate 59 in northeast Jefferson County to the I-459 interchange near Bessemer.
Elected officials, who visited the construction site late last week, touted the increase in economic growth and public safety offered by the Northern Beltline.
“We have an opportunity to complete our infrastructure in a way that doesn’t make us Atlanta or Nashville,” said Congressman Gary Palmer. “We can maintain the quality of life we have here but still have the economic development that will enrich the lives of everybody in the region. This is one of the most important infrastructure projects in the history of the state of Alabama.”
“It’s really going to have an enormously positive impact for years and years to come.”
Gardendale Mayor Stan Hogeland believes that the Northern Beltline is a “game changer” and will help communities in the area the same way that Interstate 459 helped those in southern Jefferson and northern Shelby counties.
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“I always compare it to the early days of 459. Look at pre- and post-459. That’s what’s going to happen in our areas,” said Hogeland. “Yes, it’s several years down the road but this highway is real and it’s something that’s going to happen.”
Fultondale Mayor Larry Holcomb noted the impact that the new interstate will have on local traffic.
“Connecting this together will pull a lot of the traffic off of Carson Road and our backroads because people in this area when they have to go to Birmingham for emergency services, Carson Road is the main drag they use. This will put it on a better road for traveling and make it safer for them to get to where they need to go.”
There are no plans to slow down on the progress either.
“We’re going to open up the northeast of Jefferson County to all kinds of opportunities,” Jefferson County Commissioner Joe Knight said. “We’re not going to stop again. We’re going to get it done.”
Alabama’s Congressional delegation secured $519 million in funding to complete the first phase of the project.
More than 40 area cities, three counties, and numerous businesses throughout the region have voiced support for the Northern Beltline through official resolutions and statements.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
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