The City Council of Birmingham, Ala., voted Tuesday to approve a cost-sharing agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to improve interstate lighting.
The city will invest $1.65 million toward the $3.5 million project.
“It is important that our city highways and roadways have proper lighting for safety’s sake, ease of navigation, and also to display the beauty of all that makes Birmingham great,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said.
Work includes the restoration and maintenance of interstate lighting on I-59/20 from Tallapoosa Street to the I-59/20 route interchange; I-20/59 at the Ensley 5 Points Interchanges, including Ensley 5 Points Ave West, 21st Street Ensley, and 19th Street Ensley; I-20/59 at Arkadelphia Road; I-65 at Green Springs Ave; and I-65 at University Blvd.
Some of the repairs are needed to restore lighting after the theft of copper wiring.
“We are very grateful to ALDOT for pursuing this work and for participating in restoring these lights,” James Fowler, transportation director, said. “We are taking extra precautions to reduce the likelihood of vandalism. While no system is foolproof, we are switching to aluminum wiring and are also rebuilding the system in a way that will make the wiring more difficult to remove and have virtually no salvage value.”