The days of having to wait for a train to pass to get to and from the University of Alabama campus are in the rearview mirror since the Second Avenue overpass opened Aug. 4.

The new overpass connects 15th Street to Paul W. Bryant Drive near the east side of Coleman Coliseum, the Capstone Parking Deck and the Bryant Conference Center. This entryway to campus provides a centrally located corridor that isn’t hampered by the trains and provides a dramatic view of campus from the top of the bridge.

Aside from providing a new option for the more than 70,000 vehicles that daily crossed the train tracks running along the south edge of campus and helping with traffic flow, the three-lane overpass will be helpful for emergency response and access to DCH Regional Medical Center.

The overpass features a 10-foot-wide bike/walking path with a concrete protective barrier and plenty of lighting.

The project was designed to provide parking beneath the overpass to minimize the loss of spaces near Coleman Coliseum, Sewell-Thomas Stadium and the UA School of Law. Consideration of the parking space loss was taken into account when constructing the Capstone Parking Deck, as the structure includes spots eliminated by the overpass.

The construction of the Second Avenue overpass was supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program that assists highway and freight projects of national or regional significance.

This story originally appeared on the University of Alabama’s website.

(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)