ELKMONT -– There’s no iconic rocket, yet, but the Alabama Welcome Center is ready to greet visitors at Exit 1 on Interstate 65 in Limestone County.
The opening to the public followed a ribbon-cutting ceremony with state and local officials. Officials included state Tourism Director Lee Sentell, State Reps. Danny Crawford, Andy Whitt, and Parker Moore, Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks and Elkmont Mayor Tracy Compton.
The Alabama Department of Transportation, Alabama Department of Tourism, Athens-Limestone Chamber of Commerce, and Greater Ardmore Chamber of Commerce hosted the event.
“For many, this welcome center is their first introduction to our great state and what it has to offer,” said ALDOT North Region Engineer Curtis Vincent. “As always, we will continue to greet guests with true southern hospitality. Now, they will be able to experience that old-fashioned hospitality while also enjoying the comforts of a modern building.”
Inside the new welcome center
The new main building contains a spacious lobby. Overhead, ALGO kiosks provide motorists with real-time travel information. (Motorists can also check traffic conditions or set up personalized traveler alerts by visiting algotraffic.com or downloading the ALGO Traffic app.)
To one side, the tourism lobby offers brochures and kiosks with information about local destinations and events. On the other side of the main lobby, restrooms make up a large share of the building. It boasts more than twice as many plumbing fixtures as the former building.
Spread across four main restrooms, these allow for more convenient cleaning and servicing of the restrooms and reduce wait times for visitors. Additional restrooms accommodate families and people with disabilities.
Outdoor improvements
ALDOT rearranged the grounds to place the welcome center between the passenger vehicle and truck/bus parking areas. However, many old trees went untouched, leaving plenty of shaded areas. Improved sidewalks connect the building to picnic pavilions and to the flagpoles and monument park.
The welcome center replacement was carried out in two separate but related projects. A $6.6 million project with Wiregrass Construction demolished buildings, prepared the site, and added parking lots, lighting, maintenance buildings, pavilions, and ramp improvements. A nearly $8 million project with Consolidated Construction Company of Alabama built the main facility.
ALDOT opened the original welcome center in 1976.
Plans for a replacement for the Saturn 1-B rocket that stood for 40 years are ongoing.
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