Yes the people that cut through the road closure in the AM really back things up on the detour down Shady Brook Ln., people just waving at each other trying to figure out who goes next at that intersection.
 
Who is the genius that posted a yield sign on the back of the road closure, who exactly are they supposed to yield to, the people sitting at the STOP sign?? As far as I know, yielding trumps Stop so yes they can blow right by and cause an accident. OK, so someone spray painted stop on the back, which is it, yield, stop both?? I'd like to know why Hoover PD doesn't care about this problem.
 
And yes, beyond 6:30 at night I go through the road closure because i've almost been hit twice turning left from shades crest onto valley. That is the WORST designed intersection i have ever seen... with two people waiting to turn left, they just sit there until someone guns it. Problem is, with glaring headlights, sometimes you can't see well who has gunned it and Wham!  What I do now is just pull up and pretend like i am going straight so they don't pull left down the mountain and hit me, and last second put on my left turn blinker and try to make it through with my life.

OPEN THE ROAD ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We received this e-mail a few minutes ago:
 
I just spoke with Adriana Dunn with ALDOT.  She says that ALDOT is overseeing the project from a safety standpoint but that it is actually City of Hoover's project, not ALDOT's.  She said the contractor was given 275 working days to complete the project.  Holidays, weekends and bad weather do not count in the total number of days allowed.  Thus far he has used 180 days.  She said that a large part of the delay on the project is due to temps being too low to lay the last layer of asphalt.  She claims that Dunn Construction will come next week, IF temps stay in the upper 50's-60's, to finish the last layer.  After that they will lay down temporary striping and re-open the road.  The project is not complete though.  Alabama Power located the signal controls at the wrong location and they must be relocated.  Once they finally show up and finish that, the road will be closed again to complete the signal work.  They plan to use stop signs in the meantime to get the roads re-opened.  She sounded very reasonable, but I'm sure there will still be delays, delays and more delays.  
 
Here is her info if you would like to contact her yourself.
 
Adriana L. Dunn  
County Transportation Manager
Alabama Department of Transportation
Birmingham- Third Division
T.(205)581-5904
dunna@dot.state.al.us
 
So there you have it.  Thanks, BB, for the e-mail.  Great information.
 

Does anyone know if there will be traffic lights at the intersection of Valley & Fancher at the cemetery/Catholic church/Primerica?  There is a covered up "Yield" sign at the Catholic church meaning anyone coming from Bluff Park UMC to turn right onto Fancher will have to yield to left-turners coming off of Shades Crest.  This has always been a traffic jam area in morning rush hour with left-turners having to sit and wait for someone to let them turn.  If right-turners have to yield to left-turners, and if the traffic lights going up at Fancher/Tyler aren't synced just right, traffic on Valley is going to now back up in the other direction.  What about people coming off Fancher to turn left onto Valley?  When do they get to turn?  This should at least be a 3-way stop intersection if there aren't going to be any traffic lights there.    
 
This whole road "improvement" has seemed to be a joke on "we the people" for quite a while.  I'll be the first to praise it IF it actually works and traffic flows better, but something just doesn't feel right about how it's been planned out "on paper".

Quote from ht2 on 02/18/11 at 9:18am:

 
Great post.
 

Noticed today that they also have new lights (although they are covered right now) at the Shades Crest/Valley intersection.  Hopefully that place won't be a death trap anymore!

Road is open for traffic.  Drove on it for the first time.  Traffic lights were still flashing.
 
Finally.

Quote from Recap on 02/22/11 at 8:11pm:

 
I did the same thing yesterday afternoon. I wasn't sure if the road was completely open or not, so I took the detour. It looks like the barricades are only blocking the center median down by Valley St. I came down Valley St. this morning, and other cars were taking the new road, so I followed them. I still don't understand the yield sign coming off of Valley, but I assume the road is open until they put the road blocks back up to finish the traffic lights?