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FORECAST, SHERRI, TO HAVE EVERYONE WORKING TOGETHER IN GOVERNOR HARVEY SAYING, SURE, WE WILL TRY OUR BEST TO GET THIS DONE FOR Y’ALL. AND WHEN SHE SAYS THINGS LIKE THAT, GOD BLESS HER, WE CERTAINLY DO APPRECIATE THAT. AND THAT WAS COMMISSIONER JIMMY STEPHENS DETAILING A TRIP TO GOVERNOR IVEY’S OFFICE IN 2019 TO DISCUSS FINISHING THE BELTWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. AND ALMOST 30 YEARS LATER, SHE’S ANNOUNCING A PLAN TO FINISH BUILDING THE INTERSTATE LOOP AROUND THE BIRMINGHAM METRO. AND �������� 13 ERIN LLEWELLYN IS LIVE IN GARDENDALE TONIGHT. AND, ERIN, CONSTRUCTION STARTED NINE YEARS AGO, BUT SINCE THEN IT HAS FACED MANY SETBACKS. YEAH, SARA, THIS PROJECT WAS STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. LIKE YOU SAID, A 52 MILE STRETCH FROM 59 YEAR AGO. AND I 20 AND I 59, SOUTH OF BIRMINGHAM. BUT THAT PROJECT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT IS DRIVING UP A LOT OF EXCITEMENT. IT’S A PROJECT SOME SAY HAS BEEN HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS. BIRMINGHAM. IS ONE OF THE VERY FEW CITIES OF ITS SIZE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT LAGS A COMPLETE CONNECTED INTERSTATE RAIL TO SERVE ITS METROPOLITAN AREA. THE $489 MILLION PROJECT WILL CONNECT A TEN MILE STRETCH FROM HIGHWAY 31 IN GARDENDALE TO HIGHWAY 75 NEAR PINSON, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. SOME NOTICING WORK ALREADY BEING DONE IN GARDENDALE AND GETTING ANSWERS TO THEIR QUESTIONS. WITH TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT. IT’S A LOT OF LAND CLEARING AND A LOT OF D.O.T. TRUCKS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. OBVIOUSLY NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE TRAFFIC IS GOING TO GO AND JUST THE NATURE OF THE MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC. BUT ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS ALSO BRING UP CONCERNS FOR MATTHEW KING. HE SAYS TRAFFIC DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE WILL GET WORSE BEFORE IT GETS BETTER. YOU’LL HAVE TO TIME YOUR DAY MORE IN ORDER TO GET AROUND BECAUSE YOU’LL REALIZE WHAT KIND OF TRAFFIC HITS AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY, LIKE PEAK HOURS OR RUSH HOUR. THE FOUR LANE BELTLINE IS EXPECTED TO CREATE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE FOR 18,000 SEMI-TRUCKS TO TAKE DAILY, CREATING SAFER TRAVEL AND REDUCING TRAFFIC CONGESTION. BECAUSE OF ALL THE BIGGER TRUCKS, YOU’LL HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THOSE ALL THAT TRAFFIC IS COMING THROUGH HERE BECAUSE BIRMINGHAM IS A MAJOR HUB WHEN IT COMES TO INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. AND EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE A TEMPORARY INCONVENIENCE, KING SAYS HE’S EXCITED TO SEE THE PROJECT MAKE TRAFFIC EASIER ON EVERYONE. WHEN IT GETS FINISHED, IT’LL BE NICE FOR FOR NORMAL PEOPLE THAT AREN’T TRUCK DRIVERS. BUT RIGHT NOW, WHENEVER THEY’RE WORKING ON IT, IT’LL PROBABLY BE A NIGHTMARE. GOVERNOR IVEY SAYS THAT THE BELTLINE IS ALLEVIATING TRAFFIC ON THE BELTLINE. EXCUSE ME. IS JUST ONE BENEFIT OF THE PROJECT. SHE SAYS THAT THIS WILL BE AN ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR THE STATE OF ALABAMA AND WILL ALSO POSSIBLY BRING 20 INDUSTRIAL PARKS ALONG. TH