Interstate 59 (I-59) is a north-south route that spans over 400 miles in the southeastern United States, from the Lake Pontchartrain area in Louisiana to a junction with Interstate 24 in northwestern Georgia. The longest section of the highway (241 miles) runs through the state of Alabama, where it serves as a major artery and a part of the state's highest-traffic corridor.
Connecting Alabama's central and northeastern regions and linking the state to the broader Southeast, I-59 is a vital corridor for interstate commerce and passenger travel. It is one of the most traveled highways in the Birmingham area and a major urban connector between cities such as Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, connecting with other major routes like I-65, I-20, and I-459.
A current Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) infrastructure project is reconstructing and expanding a critical segment of I-59 in Jefferson County. The I-59 Trussville Project aims to address the deteriorating condition of the roadway while simultaneously increasing its capacity to accommodate modern traffic demands.
The city of Trussville, Alabama, is located in northeast Jefferson County, on the eastern border of Birmingham. The extensive improvement project begins at I-459 near Edwards Lake Road and ends north of County Route 10, encompassing an overall distance of approximately 4 miles. This project impacts the Alabama communities of Trussville, Argo, Springville, Center Point, Pinson, Grayson Valley, Birmingham, and the surrounding areas, ultimately increasing the interstate capacity for these growing communities.
“Over 130,000 vehicles use this route daily to travel to and from Birmingham and Trussville and other communities to the northeast, as well as interstate traffic traveling through Alabama,” said Todd Connell, PE, ALDOT Birmingham Area Construction Engineer. “This project is designed to provide significant reduction, or elimination, of congestion at peak travel times."
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According to Connell, the original roadway was built with concrete pavement that was nearing the end of its serviceable life. Initially constructed and opened to traffic in the mid-1970s, the aging infrastructure had reached the point where a comprehensive overhaul was necessary. The existing concrete substructure, resurfaced with asphalt multiple times over the past five decades, is now beyond repair. As a result, a total reconstruction was deemed the most viable solution.
Wiregrass Construction Company Inc. of Dothan, Alabama, is the general contractor on the project, which is valued at approximately $70.38 million. Construction began in October 2024, and the estimated completion date is December 2026.
The main feature of the I-59 Trussville Project is the expansion and rebuilding of the existing roadway. This includes both the northbound and southbound lanes, which are being reconstructed and expanded to incorporate an additional lane in each direction. The new configuration will transform the current four-lane roadway into a six-lane thoroughfare, with each lane measuring 12 feet in width and complemented by 12-foot shoulders. This expansion is occurring with the existing median, ensuring that no additional right of way is required.
Connell noted that the existing concrete pavement is being rubblized and left in place. Multiple layers of asphalt are being placed on top of the rubblized pavement to create the new roadway. Rubblization is the process of fracturing the worn-out concrete into small pieces and converting it into an interlocked but flexible base material. The rubblizing process breaks the bonds between any reinforcing steel and the concrete, eliminates slab movement, and nearly eliminates the possibility of reflective cracking. The process will increase the life span of the overlay and ensure a better driving experience for the traveling public.
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Other components of the project include:
- Interchange ramps and slab repair: To enhance traffic flow and safety, the interchange ramps at Chalkville Mountain Road are being addressed, work which requires some temporary ramp closures. Additionally, slab repairs are being conducted on I-459 from the I-59 interchange to Exit 32 (U.S. 11) to further improve the structural integrity and longevity of the roadway.
- Bridge deck reconstruction: The bridge deck of the I-59 bridge over Edwards Lake Road is being replaced in both directions.
- Drainage, lighting, and signage: Comprehensive improvements are being made to the drainage systems, roadway striping, lighting, and signage. These enhancements are designed to improve safety, visibility, and overall driving conditions.
The I-59 Trussville Project is anticipated to provide multiple benefits, both for the local communities the route serves and across the broader Southeast region. Adding an extra lane in each direction will increase capacity, not only alleviating existing congestion and improving travel times but also accommodating the corridor's growing traffic volume. The replacement of the deteriorated roadway and bridge decks will significantly reduce accident risk and improve overall motorist safety.
The improved infrastructure — modernized drainage, lighting, and signage — will greatly enhance the interstate’s durability and functionality. The improvements are expected to drive economic growth by facilitating smoother transportation of goods and services, thus bolstering efforts to attract new businesses to the area.
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Mitigating Traffic Disruption
Given the scale of the project, traffic management is a crucial component to minimize disruption and maintain safety. ALDOT implemented staged construction procedures, with varying lane closures, to minimize traffic disruption. Connell pointed out that these procedures have ensured that at least one lane of traffic in each direction remains open throughout the construction. To reduce the impact on commuters, nighttime lane closures are scheduled during off-peak hours.
“The phasing of the work was somewhat unique compared to usual widening projects,” Connell said. “Work was initially focused on the southbound side to widen that side to three lanes with minimal impact to the northbound side. Once the southbound side had traffic in the final configuration, work then shifted to the northbound side. The contractor also has incentives tied to the completion of both directions as well as completing the ramp construction at the Chalkville Mountain Road interchange. The existing concrete pavement was rubblized and left in place to aid in the progress of construction, which is also somewhat innovative.”
Work on the project has progressed at a consistent pace, with some milestones reached sooner than projected.
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“The southbound side widening was substantially completed and opened to three lanes of traffic in November 2025,” Connell said. “The deck has been replaced on I-59 southbound bridge over Edwards Lake Road. I-59 southbound ramps at Chalkville Mountain Road have been reconstructed and opened to traffic. Work is currently underway on the I-59 northbound widening; this phase began in January 2026, with traffic moving to the outside lanes.
“Work was initially largely confined to the southbound side with minimal impact to traffic on the northbound side. Now that widening work is completed on the southbound side, the majority of work is on the northbound side. The final two layers of asphalt have yet to be laid on the southbound side.”
Connell added that closure of the I-59 southbound entrance and exit ramps at Chalkville Mountain Road, from July 2025 to August 2025, was necessary due to outside widening near the interchange.
The opening of the southbound lanes between Chalkville Mountain Road and I-459 occurred in November 2025, a full week ahead of schedule. This part of the project, including the bridge deck replacement, was completed by Wiregrass Construction within an eight-month deadline, earning a $1 million incentive.
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Work shifted to the northbound side in December 2025. The contractor has an eight-month window for completing this work to qualify for another $1 million incentive.
According to Connell, the project has utilized: 250,000 tons of asphalt, 88,000 cubic yards of unclassified excavation, and 134,000 square yards of rubblized concrete pavement. Equipment in use includes cranes, dozers, tracked excavators, asphalt pavers, rubblizing machines, rollers, and motor graders, as well as off-road dump trucks and water trucks.
The I-59 Trussville Project represents a major investment in Alabama’s transportation infrastructure. Along a critical segment of a major corridor, the project is addressing the immediate needs of the aging roadway, adding lanes to alleviate gridlock, and planning for future capacity, thus ensuring that I-59 remains a vital and efficient artery for both local and regional traffic.
- Owner: Alabama Department of Transportation
- General Contractor: Wiregrass Construction Company Inc., Dothan, Alabama
- Designer: TTL Inc., Hoover, Alabama
- Engineer: Thompson Engineering, Mobile, Alabama
- Other Contractors/Subcontractors: A-1 Sealing Inc., Richton, Mississippi; Abramson LLC, Birmingham, Alabama; Alabama Guardrail Inc., Oneonta, Alabama; Bulls Construction Group LLC, Hoover, Alabama; Carcel & G Construction LLC, Hanceville, Alabama; Charles E. Watts Inc., Gadsden, Alabama; Chilton Contractors Inc., Clanton, Alabama; Con-site Services Inc., Chelsea, Alabama; Emery Sapp & Sons Inc., Hannibal, Missouri; Forrester Developer LLC, Wetumpka, Alabama; Freeman Forest Products LLC, Attalla, Alabama; Grout Incorporated, Hope Hull, Alabama; H&L Construction Inc., Troy, Alabama; K.E. Wheeler Construction LLC, West Blockton, Alabama; Mill It Up LLC, Warrior, Alabama; Ozark Safety Services LLC, Montgomery, Alabama; Ozark Striping Company LLC, Ozark, Alabama; RMI Worldwide LLC, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Seminole Equipment Inc., Tarpon Springs, Florida; Superior Traffic Control LLC, Christiana, Tennessee; Temple J Electric LLC, Rainbow City, Alabama; The Bridge Builders of Alabama LLC, Pelham, Alabama; Timber Creek Environmental Inc., Northport, Alabama; Video Industrial Services Inc., Birmingham, Alabama Photos courtesy of Alabama Department of Transportation
