Maxine Herring Parker Bridge: Difference between revisions

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{{Locate | lat= 33.547 | lon=-86.812 | type=h | zoom=16}}
#REDIRECT [[Council President Maxine Herring Parker Bridge]]
 
'''Council President Maxine Herring Parker Bridge''' (also called '''Maxine Parker Memorial Bridge''', originally the '''Finley Avenue flyover''' or '''Finley bypass''') is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge connecting [[Finley Boulevard]] to [[Fred L. Shuttlesworth Drive]] in the [[Collegeville]] neighborhood. Before the bridge was constructed, Finley Avenue terminated  [[U. S. Highway 31]] at [[27th Street North]].
 
Construction of the 3-lane, 1000-foot bridge over two sets of [[Southern Railway]] tracks ended the problem of Collegeville being completely cut off from the rest of the city by at-grade railroad crossings. Though relief had been promised since the late 1960s, no concrete progress was made until [[2000]] when an elderly couple died in a house fire while a [[Birmingham Fire & Rescue Service|fire truck]] waited for a train to pass.
 
Neighborhood president and later [[Birmingham City Council]] member and president [[Maxine Herring Parker]] championed the project, urging the city to fund a design and engineering study and to pass a council resolution in support of the proposal. When federal stimulus funds for road and bridge projects became available during the [[Great Recession]], she lobbied U.S. Representative [[Artur Davis]] in April [[2009]] to bring the proposal forward. Davis secured a $10 million commitment of stimulus funds. She also gave Governor [[Bob Riley]] a tour of the affected area to win his support.
 
Early proposals included separate vehicular and pedestrian bridges, but those were combined during development of the project. Construction was expected to begin as early as [[2011]], but was delayed as the design evolved. The project was dedicated in memory of Councilor Parker following her death in December [[2013]]. Her son, [[William Parker]], was appointed to fill her seat on the council and also assumed the mantle of leading the bridge project.
 
Bell & Associates of Brentwood, Tennessee was awarded the $8.3 million construction contract for the $10.13 million overall project in February [[2015]]. A ceremonial ground-breaking was held on [[April 8]] of that year. Completion was expected in mid-August.
 
The bridge is the first phase of a $32 million project to continue Finley Boulevard along the southern edge [[Collegeville]] to [[Alabama Highway 79]] near [[East Lake Boulevard]]. No time frame has been set for the later phases of work.
 
==References==
* MacDonald, Ginny (July 6, 2009) "Alabama Department of Transportation sets first public meeting on three plans for proposed Finley bypass." {{BN}}
* "Birmingham City Councilwoman Maxine Parker's legacy may be Finley Boulevard flyover to rescue Collegeville neighborhood." editorial (July 18, 2009) {{BN}}
* MacDonald, Ginny (July 24, 2009) "Finley flyover plans draw interest from Collegeville." {{BN}}
* Bryant, Joseph D. (May 30, 2014) "Making it official: City and state leaders join to dedicate upcoming Birmingham railroad overpass." {{BN}}
* Bryant, Joseph D. (February 2, 2015) "Building the bridge: State awards $8.3 million contract to erect Birmingham vehicle, pedestrian overpass." {{BN}}
* Bryant, Joseph D. (April 8, 2015) "Railroad overpass construction, park renovations to be highlighted with North Birmingham ceremony." {{BN}}
 
[[Category:Proposed developments]]
[[Category:Finley Boulevard]]
[[Category:F. L. Shuttlesworth Drive]]
[[Category:Alabama State Highway 79]]
[[Category:Bridges]]
[[Category:2016 buildings]]

Latest revision as of 13:18, 6 January 2024

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