I-65 lane closures planned for traffic camera pole installation

DECATUR — Motorists on I-65 should expect nighttime lane closures as crews install traffic camera poles to expand ALDOT’s Intelligent Transportation System in Morgan and Limestone counties.

The $2.5 million advanced corridor management project with contractor Ozark Safety Services extends from Exit 334 at Alabama Highway 67 in Priceville to Exit 354 at U.S. 31 in Athens.

Weather permitting, the Ozark Safety Services will install 84-foot-long concrete poles at four different sites this week. The poles will stand 70 feet above ground once installed.

Tonight, the contractor will close a lane on I-65 northbound near milepost 346 and a westbound lane on Huntsville Brownsferry Road at I-65 Exit 347.

This traffic camera north of the Bethel Road overpass, between Hartselle and Priceville, was one of eight cameras installed on I-65 in a previous project in 2019.

Expect lane closures from 6:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Next week, additional installations of two poles per night are planned for each of the following dates and locations in Limestone County:

• Sept. 9, northbound at mileposts 349 and 353.
• Sept. 10, southbound at mileposts 352 and 354.
• Sept. 11, near mileposts 343 and 344.

Expanding coverage

The project will add a total of 11 cameras on I-65. This includes a camera to be installed on an existing pole at Exit 340.

ALDOT North Region Traffic Systems Management and Operations Coordinator Phillip Day said the cameras will fill gaps in ALDOT’s existing traffic management system.

“They’ll significantly expand coverage,” Day said. “We will have cameras covering nearly the entirety of I-65 from Priceville to Athens.”

The project also includes:

• Installation of two overhead dynamic message signs — one northbound just north of the Tennessee River, and one southbound before Exit 347.
• Installation of two Road Weather Information Systems stations.
• A combination of radio devices and fiber optic cable for device communication.

Once installed and operational, the cameras will undergo testing. After the testing period is complete, livestreams will become publicly viewable at algotraffic.com or on the ALGO Traffic app.

Cameras assist ALDOT with detection and monitoring roadway issues and congestion. This information allows the Department to more quickly coordinate with first responders for assistance with clearing highway incidents.

ALDOT does not record or store footage from its traffic cameras.