FORT PAYNE — An emergency slab repair and replacement project on 13 miles of I-59 in DeKalb County will begin next week, the Alabama Department of Transportation announced.
Starting Monday, contractor Vulcan Materials will repair and replace some of the underlying concrete slabs on I-59 northbound and southbound between Exit 205 at Alabama Highway 68 in Collinsville and Exit 218 at Highway 35 in Fort Payne, according to an ALDOT news release. In addition, the contractor will mill and pave sections of the asphalt overlay.
Drivers should expect daily single-lane closures in either direction.
ALDOT anticipates completion of the nearly $1 million project by September.
As the concrete slabs that form the original highway age and deteriorate, their movement creates bumps in the asphalt overlay.
However, this plan is a short-term fix, and planning for a permanent solution is underway.
ALDOT plans to reconstruct this segment of I-59 in two projects, parts of an ongoing effort to reconstruct most of the I-59 corridor in DeKalb County and northern Etowah County.
ALDOT hired a consultant to design the reconstruction of the northbound roadway between Collinsville and Fort Payne. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027. The department recently received authorization to start preliminary engineering for the corresponding southbound roadway.
The plan is to let this project in 2027, ALDOT said.
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