It’s bumper-to-bumper on I-565 headed into Huntsville. Somewhere in downtown Birmingham, a truck driver is cussing how no one will let him merge as I-65 narrows with construction underway at the I-20/59 malfunction junction. A driver of an SUV speeding east on I-10 headed to Gulf Shores with his family has to slam on the brakes as traffic is logjammed headed into the Wallace Tunnel.
These are just the publicized transportation problem areas of Alabama. There are a few others: I-65 in Shelby County, Lurleen Wallace Blvd. in Tuscaloosa, and the numerous places cut off from the rest of the state like Wedowee, Fayette, Monroeville, and Lafayette with no four-lane access to an interstate highway.
Meanwhile, on the east side of the Mobile River on Blakeley Island, there is a makeover underway. The entrance to the Bankhead Tunnel, which carries U.S. Highway 90 and 98 under the river is being outfitted with a new “vibrant” paint scheme.
This effort has excited the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Mobile Area Office to such an extent that it is celebrating the paint job on social media.
We are happy to announce that the Bankhead Tunnel is getting a makeover! Next Mon-Thurs. the tunnel will be closed from 9 p.m. – 4 a.m. for the rehabilitation and beautification of the exterior. Both portals will receive a paint job! What colors you ask? Let’s just say.. vibrant!
— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) July 6, 2018
“Life is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get”
Tell us your best guesses for the new colors of the Bankhead Tunnel! Stay tuned because the first color will soon be revealed! #Bankheadgetsamakeover— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) July 6, 2018
Roses are red, violets are BLUE.. we are excited for #Bankheadgetsamakeover and hope you are too! pic.twitter.com/hKibgZauWI
— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) July 6, 2018
You paint it “cucumber salad” green!! #bankheadgetsamakeover pic.twitter.com/2mwLXYjeO0
— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) July 7, 2018
Roses are red violets are still BLUE, but this time they are LIGHTER, I’m ready for #Bankheadgetsamakeover, how about you? pic.twitter.com/odRi6n6s88
— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) July 9, 2018
Happy Monday! Don’t forget the Bankhead Tunnel will be closed tonight from
10 p.m.- 4 a.m. for #Bankheadgetsamakeover Expect nightly closures from
9 p.m.- 4 a.m. through Thursday. Click the photo to check out the new face of the Bankhead Tunnel! pic.twitter.com/WXrUCe9ZRO— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) July 9, 2018
For clarification- The east side of the Bankhead Tunnel will receive the new colors. The west side will be painted the same color it is now. https://t.co/CKWanvIZTg
— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) July 9, 2018
Crews were busy last night cleaning and performing patchwork on the Bankhead Tunnel to turn it into a clean canvas for paint! Work was centered around the west side of the tunnel where you can expect to see some of the first changes in the near future. #bankheadgetsamakeover
— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) July 10, 2018
Doesn’t it seem misguided for the bloated administrative state bureaucracy behind Alabama’s appalling road and highway system to be touting a paint job?
There is so much wrong with state government, but most Alabamians seem to be willing to overlook a lot of it. The one thing that impacts them directly that they probably would prefer the state to make a priority is roads and highways.
The shortcomings of the Alabama Department of Transportation are for the most part ignored. They were raised in the waning days by Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle in his losing bid to be the Republican gubernatorial nominee. Politicians running for state office often tip-toe around the issues as to avoid pitting regions of the state against one another.
Instead, the focus is put on arming teachers with guns in schools, the never-ending see-saw battle of the competing big special interests in Montgomery or who can be the Trumpiest of all. These are all superfluous issues that distract from the question: What exactly do people want state government to do?
There’s a lot on that list, but one would have to expect pretty high on the list is transportation. That doesn’t mean funding for Amtrak, which is an antiquated and inefficient means for you and your bros in Mobile to catch a Saints game in New Orleans.
It’s not even dealing with the situation of outrageous airfares flying in and out of Montgomery and Dothan.
It’s making it easier for people to get to and from home and work. It’s opening up some of these isolated places in Alabama that aren’t shut off from the rest of the world and economic development because it is cost-prohibitive to transport any goods that might be manufactured in these economically beleaguered communities.
The takeaway from ALDOT: Don’t sweat that silly stuff. You can enjoy the luscious pastels of the Bankhead Tunnel as you attempt to dodge the traffic of the Bayway headed into Mobile.
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and is the editor of Breitbart TV.
