Thousands of semi-trucks could be out of Birmingham with Northern Beltline

Construction is expected to resume soon on Jefferson County's Northern Beltline. This comes after Gov. Kay Ivey announced $489 million in federal funding has been secured to move ahead with the project.

SEE RELATED: Gov. Ivey announces construction on Birmingham Northern Beltline to restart soon

The first goal of the 52 mile project is a ten mile stretch, which will connect Highway 31 near Gardendale to State Route 75 near Pinson.

“With the creation of the jobs, that will follow that, and the different businesses that will locate there, I really do think it’s a game changer, and generational change that will happen here," said Gardendale Mayor Stan Hogeland.

There is not an estimated timeline for the completion of the entire project, however the ten mile portion is expected to be complete in five years.

"As additional funding is made available, we will work with local governments and federal highway to create usable sections both east or west of the construction we are working on," said DeJarvis Leonard, a regional engineer with Alabama Department of Transportation.

The 10 miles of the Northern Beltline is estimating 18,000 fewer semi-trucks out of Birmingham's City Center each day.

"Sometimes when they build these beltlines, like around Nashville, sometimes it adds 20, 30 miles to your trip and in turn, that cuts down on your hours you can actually drive when you have to go a half hour, 45 minutes around a town, and then they always have no trucks in left lane, and things like that. They are making it hard on us," said truck driver David McPheron. "It's good for them but sometimes it's bad for us."

McPheron has been driving trucks from 30 years. He admits driving through certain downtown areas can be a challenge.

"They don’t realize how much space you need to turn. You’re better off, unless you have to be there, stay on the big road," he said.

We asked Leonard how long the Northern Beltline would add to their commute.

"I guess individual truckers would have to make that decision, and look at congestion, delays, versus the ability to readily access I-20 on the east side or I-59 going north," he responded.

Along with the growth, Hogeland said the beltline will be good for the traffic.

"Anybody that drives through there see’s it, through the junction, and a much safer way would be able to take those trucks around the Birmingham metro then going right through the heart of it," he explained.

When asked if there would be an increase in trucks coming through Gardendale, he responded, "Well, that’s the obvious thing you would think, so I think there will be a point of time, that you may see more of that in our area, but they are coming through, sometimes down Carson Road and other areas that's really not intended for that type of traffic.”

"So, that would be a concern that I would have, but US-31 is a state highway and it's a four lane highway, and I have been here long enough that I lived with 31 was the main thoroughfare, then came along I-65, so initially there could be that concern, but once completed then they will just go around," said Hogeland. "That's what we need it to do from a safety standpoint, to be driving on an interstate that is designed for that type of travel and get them out of downtown Birmingham."

Construction will pick up where it left off. ALDOT said the area has been maintained and only a few trees will have to be cleared since the last time it was worked on.