The Beltline is a western bypass located completely within the city limits of Decatur, Alabama

Decatur, Alabama

Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...

. It was built as an extension of Alabama State Route 67, and is the northern terminating end of the highway. It is currently the second most heavily traveled roadway in the Decatur Metropolitan Area

Decatur Metropolitan Area

The Decatur Metropolitan Area is a moderately urban region of North-Central Alabama. The 2008 estimate population is 150,125, one third of which resides within the boundaries of its core city, Decatur, Alabama....

.

Built in 1966 to relieve major traffic congestion on 6th Avenue (US 31), which runs down the eastern portion of the city, and serves the northeastern and southeastern regions of town. In providing this "relief", the bypass created problems of its own.

History

The Beltline has seen many expansions, upgrades, and improvements since its initial construction. When it was constructed, the city of Decatur had very few businesses in western Decatur, in the part of town called Austinville.

The Four Regions

In the 1960s, there were no SE, NE, NW, or SW regions of town to speak of. However, today, most people identify with one of the four regions. Since the two halves of town, East and West, have slightly different cultures, most people "cross town" do not know where a certain street may be. This, though, is fixed by saying which region of town one is from. Most local residents use this sort of geographical identification.

The reason these four regions exist is because of The Beltline. Southeast and Northeast Decatur already existed as parts of town, but were simply thought of as one, as there was a much lower population at that time in the West. Southwest consists mostly of the area bordered by 6th Avenue (US 31), 14th Street W, and Moadus Road (which connects The Beltline and Danville Road). Northwest is bordered by Moadus Road, Central Parkway, and 14th Street W.

"Operation Death Trap"

Operation Death Trap was a campaign that began in 1974 to support and expansion of the roadway that was meant to be a revolution in traffic improvement in the city of Decatur. As the bypass was only two lanes at the time, the highway could not support the traffic being forced upon it. Increasing traffic rates had been caused by a rapid expansion of population and business in the western regions of town.

In the year of 1974, insurance agents in the Decatur Area dubbed The Beltline the most hazardous road in the city.

Because of the Operation Death Trap campaign, in 1978, the state of Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

 granted the city $3.1 Million to fund and expansion of the bypass to its current 4 lanes.

1999 Expansion Talks

After plans for an "outer Beltline" toll road fell through in 1997, talks of expanding The Beltline to a 50% larger 6 lanes began. More increases in traffic due to a continuously growing population and expanding commercial areas strained the thoroughfare's traffic capacity to dangerous levels.

The Decatur Planning Commission proposed the 6 laning, including entrance and exit control along the route. But, businesses cried out against this, saying that decreased entry and exit points along the road would lead to reduced profits. The council backed away from the ideas.

Progress

In 2005 the State Department of Transportation announced that difficult engineering problems led to delays in progress in expansion. Also in the same year, Governor Bob Riley

Bob Riley

Bob Riley may refer to:* Bob Riley, 52nd Governor of Alabama* Bob C. Riley, acting Governor of Arkansas for 11 days in 1975* Bob Riley , sports car designer and founder of Riley Technologies...

 announced that expansion of the road would begin in the spring of 2006.

On November 30, 2006, Bob Riley approved a construction contract for the construction along the Beltline to begin in the spring of 2007.

The construction schedule of the 5.9 mile stretch of highways is set into three phases. The first, and most heavily traveled, of those three extends from Danville Road SW, to Old Moulton Road, near Alabama State Route 24

Alabama State Route 24

State Route 24 is a long route in the northwestern and north-central part of the state. The western terminus of the route is near Red Bay at the Mississippi state line, where it continues as Mississippi Highway 23. The eastern terminus of the route is at the junction with State Route 67 at Decatur...

. The second extends from Alabama 24 to Alternate US 72 / Alabama 20. The third, and most difficult, stretches from Danville Road SW, to 6th Avenue (US 31).

Construction finally began on the first phase, expected to take 18 months to complete, on March 20, 2007.