Motorists planning to travel Interstate 59 into Alabama or toward the Florida panhandle should look for a snag around the Etowah-DeKalb county line for the foreseeable future.
The Alabama Department of Transportation has announced the start of a $44 million project to remove and reconstruct about 11 miles of the northbound side of I-59 between Collinsville in DeKalb County and Reece City in Etowah County, just north of Gadsden, according to officials.
The project’s footprint extends from south of the Stephens Gap Road overpass to south of Exit 205 at Alabama Highway 68, according to Alabama Department of Transportation spokesperson Seth Burkett. The new work will add to existing traffic problems stemming from other interstate construction near Fort Payne.
“The southbound lane closure begins today,” Burkett said Monday in an email. Motorists should expect the closure south of Exit 205 and to expect delays and plan additional travel time or use alternate routes, he said.