32-million dollar project underway on I-85 to improve exits in east Alabama

ALABAMA – Plans are underway in east Alabama to improve exits along busy Interstate 85. According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, they will be using a recently awarded $10.8 million grant towards the agency’s work to modernize the state’s interstate system for today’s traffic volumes.

According to a press release from ALDOT:

ALDOT anticipates the project to be completed by Spring 2024. Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller tells News Leader 9 that citizens of the area and people who travel through the roadwork should remain patient and travel the path with caution.

“Be patient, and then be very cautious in the meantime of getting on and off of the interstate at exit 60,” said Mayor Fuller. “It takes too dog gone long to get a project like this done, but it is what it is. So we’re going to try to be patient. We know that better days are coming to make that intersection safer, especially for all of our visitors.”

Citizens in the area tell News Leader 9 it’s about time for the change to come about. Many people who commented on the project, describe the exits as a “death trap.”

“I’ve had to come to a complete stop a couple of times because you can’t get over to let people pass or get on,” said one Opelika citizen who declined to share her name.

“That would be a God-saving thing,” said Jackie Heard, an Opelika resident. “It would save a lot of lives I believe.”

Another resident who declined to be identified commented, “Sometimes I’ll go up around to the next exit because I can still get to my destination most of the time if I’m in that area by going to the next exit up and getting off and going on to where I need to go that way.”

Mike Augustine told News Leader 9 he travels along I-85 often for work. “It seems like it’s pretty hard to get on and off the interstate right here at this spot specifically,” said Augustine.