Jim Bennett Bridge

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Jim Bennett Bridge, April 2011 by Bradley Burgess

The Jim Bennett Bridge, opened on November 6, 1985, carries Brookwood Medical Center Drive over U.S. Highway 31 (Independence Drive) on the northern slope of Shades Mountain. The bridge eliminated a difficult interchange which required hospital traffic coming from the north to cross oncoming south-bound lanes to enter the Brookwood Medical Center campus.

The project to construct the $3 million bridge was a joint effort of the Metropolitan Planning Organization with local, state and federal government agencies. It was funded by a public-private partnership method developed in part by former State Senator Jim Bennett. Numerous later projects have benefitted from the same funding method. In 2002 State Senator Jabo Waggoner introduced a resolution to name the bridge for Bennett, who was then Secretary of State.

In April 2011 the north side of the bridge was used as a canvas for a "You Are Beautiful" graffiti tag.

References

  • Act No. 2002-476. "Designating the bridge over U.S. Highway 31 at Brookwood Medical Center in Homewood, Alabama, the Jim Bennett Bridge." Acts of Alabama
  • "Homewood's U.S. 31 overpass beautified" (April 14, 2011) Birmingham News