I-22 Construction Continues into Birmingham, Provides Economic Development Opportunities

Approved by Congress as project "Corridor X", Interstate-22 construction moved into Alabama in 2010. The Alabama leg is now in (Birmingham) Jefferson County, AL at it's intersection with I-65. According to Fox affiliate WRBC, the interchange was schedule to be completed in October 2014.  From early on, agencies in the region have pinned new development hopes on the new corridor. 

As most of the new Interstate has been completed between Birmingham and Memphis, regional economic development groups have been exploiting the link as a serious economic engine for Northwest Alabama. According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, I-22 is already boosting economic development opportunity in the state.  The I-22 Alliance is a regional economic development group formed to promote the corridor to new industry. The C3 of Northwest Alabama touts the regions transportation advantages, I-22 chief among them.

I-22 Existing and Suggested Eastern Extension to Georgia Ports

As of this writing, there are no known organized groups in East Alabama or Georgia who have taken up promoting the eastern extension specifically. However, a group in western Georgia is promoting the idea of an "Import/Export Highway" between Troup County, Georgia on the Alabama border and Macon in middle Georgia.  

The map image above demonstrates the I-22 Eastern Extension (discussed in this earlier post) following the recently upgraded US280 from Birmingham through the Auburn/Opelika, Alabama area, and Columbus and Albany, Georgia on to the Georgia ports at Brunswick. Yet, the alignment could easily be routed through the Valley, Alabama to LaGrange area to achieve the goal of the Import/Export Highway. Obviously, any supporters in southern Georgia, particularly those in the Brunswick Ports, area would not be served by the alternate proposal. 

Rather than pursuing future Interstate projects, and while acknowledging the city's shunning by Interstate planners, Columbus, GA officials are presently focused on advocating for high-speed rail from Columbus to Atlanta. While a worthwhile goal, rail and Interstate planning need not be and either/or proposition. A rail feasibility study is underway. 

Indeed, an I-22 extension from Birmingham would provide a clear corridor from Georgia Atlantic ports to the midwest gateway at Memphis. The suggested route provides Albany, GA's only Interstate access, and intersects I-75 just a few miles south of Georgia's inland port at Cordele. To punctuate Interstates importance to job creation, Badcock Corp clearly stated (in their press release) that LaGrange, Georgia's location in I-85 was a key factor in locating their distribution center there: “Georgia’s logistics infrastructure will give them easy access to their growing number of retail stores across the Southeast.”

Interstate-14 - Fourteenth Amendment Highway

Interstate-14 (currently proposed)

Start: Aiken, SC End: Midland, TX

Est. Length: 1,200 miles (Augusta to Houston)

Benefits: Homeland Security, Economic Development, Environmental/Fuel, Population Centers, Existing Highways

Connecting: SC: Aiken. GA: Augusta, Macon/Warner Robins, Columbus. AL: Montgomery. MS: Meridian, Hattiesburg, Natchez. LA: Alexandria. TX: Jasper, Houston (at Huntsville), College Station, Killeen, San Angelo, Midland

Intersections: I-20 Aiken, SC; I-30, Augusta, GA; I-16, Macon/Warner Robins, GA; I-75, Macon/Warner Robins, GA; I-22, Columbus, GA (proposed); I-81, Columbus, GA (proposed); I-314 Montgomery, AL, I-65 Montgomery, I-85 Montgomery (merge), I-85 Split, Selma, AL; I-7, Fruitdale, AL; I-59, Laurel, MS, I-55; Brookhaven, MS; I-11, Natchez, MS; I-49, Alexandria, LA; I-45, Huntsville, TX, I-35, Temple, TX; I-20, Midland, TX.

Description: A new Interstate highway from Augusta, Georgia to Natchez, Mississippi has already been funded for study. This highway has broad appeal and promises economic growth to those areas of the deep south left off of the original Interstate highway systems. By beginning the highway in Aiken, South Carolina, and utilizing a segment of I-520, Interstate-14 can extend it’s ultimate route and incorporate a larger portion of metro Augusta. An intersection with the proposed Interstate-3 (see I-30) would form a large loop highway around Fort Gordon, Georgia. I-14 will ultimately connect Aiken, South Carolina/Augusta, Georgia on the east with Houston, Texas in the west.

Many Columbus, Georgia area leaders are supporting the highway and some are further proposing that the highway run through the southern portions of metro Columbus. By doing this, the proposed I-14 would merge with and form the southern portion of the proposed Benning Beltway. Southern routes through Greater Augusta, Greater Macon, Greater Columbus and Greater Montgomery would also provide an important link between military bases – Maxwell, Benning, Robins and Gordon.

Funding for studying an Interstate-85 extension west of Montgomery, Alabama has recently been approved. A portion of Interstate-14 might also merge with all or parts of the extension of I-85 west of Montgomery, Alabama and form a large section of the Interstate through western Alabama as it dissects a significant portion of Alabama between I-59/20 to its north and I-65 to the south.

The route through western Alabama suggests an intersection with I-20/59 east of Meridian, Mississippi. A merger there would co-route with I-59 to south of Hattiesburg, Mississippi where I-14 would split to continue a western route.

The long-range extension of the new Interstate-14 might include a western route from Natchez, Mississippi to Alexandria, Louisiana and into Texas terminating at I-45 north of Houston at Huntsville, Texas. As discussed in a later installment, I-85 might then split with I-14 west of Montgomery, to take a southern route to coastal Mississippi at Biloxi.

UPDATE: This post has been updated to include I-14 extension plans in Texas by the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition. Texas officials are promoting the highway, which is already under development in that state, as the "Forts to Ports" highway. Though originally proposed by Georgia and Alabama officials, the highway is currently not in progress in those states.

In Georgia, the original route for I-14 took on the nickname of "Fall Line Freeway" for it's course along the geological 'fall-line' from Augusta, GA to Columbus, GA. However, the freeway plan was downgraded to a 'developmental' highway as part of the Governors Road Improvement Program. The portion of the highway through Columbus known as the JR Allen Parkway is currently the only interstate-grade portion outside Texas. Because of development that has occurred in metro Columbus around the parkway, this proposal, however, suggests a southern route around the city to open lands for additional manufacturing development and better connect Fort Benning, GA to other military bases along the "Forts to Ports" route.

Additional I-14 posts:
US 190 in Texas to become new Interstate 14
Gulf Coast Strategic Highway