Westbound and down: I-565 overpass opens at Town Madison

MADISON — The city of Madison officially opened the long-awaited westbound interchange along I-565 at Town Madison today. 

A previous phase of construction on the interchange opened the ramps to and from I-565 eastbound. The opening of the additional ramps, including the bridges over I-565, will facilitate movement of westbound traffic on and off the interstate.  

At the ribbon-cutting, Mayor Paul Finley called it an exciting day for Madison and Madison County. He said when I-565 was first designed there was only one interchange in Madison

“Because at the time that this was designed, Madison’s a town of about 4,000 to 8,000 people,” he said. “There is no better representation than what we’ve done since that time.” 

Finley said the interchange was a “huge win” for the community as well as aiding growth.  

“The quality of life has increased dramatically with the opening up of this interchange,” he said. “And then one last piece that’s critical to this community as we hear the possibility of the FBI or a Space Command.

“FBI is already coming. When Space Command comes, we certainly better have more opportunities to get people on and off the (Redstone) Arsenal.”

City Council President John Seifert said it was a momentous occasion.

“We’re opening up this interchange that is really opening access, more access into Town Madison,” said Seifert. “They’ll bring more revenue, more quality of life opportunities to our citizens and, in turn, help us improve access here for the shop owners as well as the businesses and things that are here.”

In addition to providing enhanced access to the Town Madison district, the overpass will also provide increased support for traffic flow at Redstone Arsenal. The improved access and reduced congestion on I-565 will help ease the flow of traffic around the post, ensuring smoother commutes for military personnel and civilian workers, and contribute to the overall efficiency of the area’s transportation network. 

Finley also advised patience in the coming weeks as the Rocket City Trash Pandas open their season April 4, while the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team will return to Toyota Field to host the University of North Lions on Tuesday.

“So next Tuesday, when Alabama gets here, I’m going to ask everybody for patience because as we open this up, we now have that many more folks that are going to be able to get here from this way,” he said. “We’re going to learn a little bit, but I feel like we’ve got a really good plan to make that happen.” 

The city advises that, although the project is substantially complete, minor work remains. The contractor will finish surface paving along I-565 and final striping in the coming weeks as weather warrants. Commuters are advised to proceed with caution in the area.