18 MAY 06: ALL FOUR IT
Today marks a big day for drivers in east Alabama. U.S. 280 becomes a four-lane highway, all the way from Phenix City to Birmingham. Does this mean the Columbus area doesn't have the "world's longest cul-de-sac" anymore?
Governor Bob Riley will take part in a ceremony, celebrating a completely four-laned U.S. 280 in east Alabama. So?! Zell Miller would have had a north Georgia highway named after him by now....
The last section of U.S. 280 to be widened from two lanes to four was between Alexander City and the Waverly area. It includes a tiny corner of Chambers County -- where officials may be more concerned about making U.S. 431 so wide that no one ever wrecks there again.
It's taken decades to widen U.S. 280 all the way from Phenix City to Birmingham. That's partly because some landowners along the way in Lee County either didn't want the encroachment, or didn't want to leave their homes. But Roy Moore didn't surface in time to protect their traditions....
There are 141 miles between Phenix City and Birmingham, and regular drivers on U.S. 280 say a completely four-laned highway will save them about 20 minutes in travel time. If the speed limit doesn't change, how can this be? Unless, of course, these drivers are ignoring the speed limit....
But make no mistake: U.S. 280 is NOT an interstate highway. Stop lights await at various towns along the way, between Phenix City and Birmingham. Linger at one of them in Alexander City or Sylacauga, and you might be tempted to admire an abandoned textile mill.
Parts of U.S. 280 in Alabama actually have more than four lanes, and that's a good thing. The Mountain Brook-Vestavia Hills section needs the extra space for all the suburban Birmingham traffic -- not to mention the fancy things people buy at those upscale shopping malls.
But there are other sections of U.S. 280 which could use widening beyond four lanes. I'm starting to think six lanes are needed in north Phenix City, between Wal-Mart and Kmart. The southbound lanes get packed in the late afternoon -- and with a new Bruster's going up along U.S. 280, a lot of ice cream is going to melt.
Next week will mark one year since my last drive on U.S. 280, from Birmingham to Phenix City [30 May 05]. I can't give you a fair estimate of how long the trip took -- since I made the mandatory stop at Kroger in Opelika, to buy low-priced groceries.
Now that we've fixed U.S. 280 all the way to Birmingham, the next project is making a straight four-lane highway to Montgomery. The proposed Interstate 14 would provide that -- and even let you travel all the way to Mississippi. But if you're not going to Biloxi to gamble or Tupelo to tour Elvis Presley history, why go?
E-MAIL UPDATE: Speaking of roads, this message reached us Wednesday:
New routes
The Lee County school system says they are changing the bus routes of the buses that go thru that intersection (HWY 169 and lee road 240) .
That is a good move, Now, asking for the interesection to be redone to make it available for school buses to make south turns onto HWY 169. this will be interesting to see if the D.O.T. responds to this before OR after maybe some law suits are filed by Parents or not.
This is referring to the place where more than a dozen students were hurt in a collision last week. I'm not familiar with this intersection -- but if lawsuits are pending, I suppose Ken Nugent or Micki Beth Stiller will know it before long.
Now let's pull into a parking lot, to review other items from Wednesday:
+ Columbus Technical College students began a clothing drive, for residents of the Open Door Community House. Remember: your old clothes actually may be newer that what those residents wear now - and I suspect they smell better, too.
+ Alabama State Senator Gerald Dial began his own television commercial, in response to Kim Benefield. Dial calls the Benefield accusations of recent days "untrue attacks funded by trial lawyers." You'd think lawyers would state untrue attacks themselves, instead of paying for others to do it for them.
+ Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue said he'll call the legislature into a special session, if the state Supreme Court doesn't review the constitutional amendment on marriage by August 7. It's nice to see he's waiting until the sales tax holiday is over - though I can't quite understand why.
(Supporters of same-sex marriage accuse Governor Perdue of planning to make the marriage amendment an election year issue. Huh?! If their side hadn't challenged the constitutionality of the amendment in court, this never would have happened.)
+ The U.S. Senate approved an amendment to the immigration reform bill offered by Alabama's Jeff Sessions. It would build a "triple-layered fence" along the U.S.-Mexican border. That was a stunning setback for Schick, which lobbied for a Quattro
system.
(So why does Jeff Sessions want a triple-layered fence along the U.S.-Mexican border? From the news of several months ago, the Russell County Jail could use that first.)
+ Pacelli High School split a doubleheader in the state baseball playoffs with Portal, forcing a third game today. I hope Portal High School lives up to its name -- and offers not only e-mail, but real-time stock quotes and a chat room.
BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $2.66 a gallon at Dolly Madison on Victory Drive.... Oreo cookies 2-for-1 at Publix.... and someone selling duct tape outside the Civic Center, so no one interrupts this weekend's high school graduation ceremonies....
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