HUNTSVILLE — New paint will help extend the useful life of what many Huntsville residents refer to as the “useless overpass.”
Cekra Inc., working on a $420,000 contract, will paint the overpass on South Memorial Parkway in Huntsville as well as an overpass on I-759 in Gadsden.
Paint helps protect steel parts of a bridge from the elements and can extend the structure’s lifespan. Painting is a major component of the ongoing rehabilitation of the I-65 bridges over the Tennessee River.
Work on the “useless overpass” between Drake Avenue and Airport Road will begin today. ALDOT advises motorists to expect around-the-clock closure of the service road U-Turn lanes under the overpass until noon Nov. 26. All service road through lanes will remain open.
ALDOT constructed the overpass in the late 1960s as one of the first Memorial Parkway overpasses. The overpass got its nickname because it does not span a roadway intersection. However, many motorists do find the U-turn lanes beneath it useful.
Gadsden bridge painting
On Nov. 17, Cekra will start painting the Eastside Drive bridge over I-759 in Gadsden.
The contractor will close one lane at a time, with the lane remaining closed around-the clock for several days while work is performed overhead, before shifting the closure to the next lane.
Operations will pause at noon Nov. 26, and resume Dec. 1. Weather permitting, ALDOT anticipates completion in mid-December.
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