Alabamians have wondered for almost a decade if the Northern Beltline in Jefferson County would ever be completed. The 52-mile road project was halted in the fall of 2016 due to a lack of funding.
Now, construction of the Beltline is taking place once again thanks largely to $489 million in funding secured by Alabama’s congressional delegation.
The first phase of construction on the Northern Beltline involves a $64.7 million project to build a four-lane highway connecting State Route 79 and State Route 75, spanning approximately two miles. This section of the beltline is expected to be completed by 2026.
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DeJarvis Leonard, an Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) East Central Region engineer, explained the benefits that the Northern Beltline will offer once completed.
“Building a northern interstate route across Jefferson County has been discussed for decades as a way to help move people and goods more efficiently through the area, increase economic development opportunities, and provide greater access for residents and emergency responders to get where they need to go,” said Leonard. “The Northern Beltline was first added to Birmingham’s long-range transportation plan more than 40 years ago.
He pointed to another Alabama transportation infrastructure project that helped Jefferson County.
“Just as I-459 improved the flow of traffic around Birmingham, spurred growth and created jobs for residents in the southern and eastern parts of the Birmingham metro region, the Northern Beltline is expected to do the same for communities in the northern and western areas. When I-459 was completed in the early 1980s, it helped to ease congestion, increase economic development and generally improve the quality of life for Alabamians. We expect the same will happen with the Northern Beltline.”
“The Northern Beltline enjoys wide-ranging support from local citizens, first responders, elected officials, economic developers, and business leaders,” Leonard said. “Three counties, 45 cities, and numerous businesses throughout the region support it. People are enthusiastic about the opportunities it will bring to the area.”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
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