A major reconstruction project along Interstate 59 southbound near the Georgia state line is set to begin after Memorial Day, bringing lane closures, traffic shifts, and the temporary closure of the Alabama Welcome Center over the next several years.
The $47.5 million project, awarded to Wiregrass Construction, will cover approximately 16 miles of I-59 southbound from the Georgia state line to about one mile north of the U.S. 11 overpass in Fort Payne. According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, the project includes the complete demolition and replacement of roughly 10 miles of roadway, along with rehabilitation work on an additional six miles.
Construction is expected to continue through February 2029.
The first phase of work is scheduled to begin Tuesday, May 27, weather permitting. Crews will focus on a roughly one-mile section of southbound I-59 stretching from the Georgia line south to the Alabama Welcome Center in DeKalb County. Initial work will involve milling and paving the inside southbound lane and shoulder.
Motorists traveling through the area should expect single-lane closures during this phase of construction.
Once paving work is completed, contractors will install concrete barriers to close the outside southbound lane and begin demolition and reconstruction work. That closure will also force the temporary shutdown of the Alabama Welcome Center beginning Monday, June 1. Officials say the facility will remain closed for approximately 90 days.
The welcome center is expected to reopen after the outside lane reconstruction is complete and traffic is shifted onto the new pavement. Contractors will then begin rebuilding the inside lane using a similar process.
Future phases of the project will bring even larger traffic changes. Two additional phases are planned that will each involve extended closures of roughly five-mile stretches of southbound roadway. During those phases, all northbound and southbound traffic will be routed onto the northbound side of the interstate, separated by concrete barriers.
Transportation officials say the setup mirrors previous reconstruction projects completed along I-59 in northeast Alabama, where contractors rebuilt lengthy interstate sections in stages.
ALDOT has not yet released exact timelines for the later phases of the project.
Drivers are encouraged to monitor current traffic conditions and construction updates through ALGO Traffic or the ALGO Traffic mobile app.