Maxine Herring Parker Bridge: Difference between revisions

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'''Council President Maxine Herring Parker Bridge''' (also called '''Maxine Parker Memorial Bridge''') is a 3-lane, 1000-foot bridge vehicular and pedestrian bridge in the [[Collegeville]] neighborhood. It carries [[Fred L. Shuttlesworth Drive]] over [[Southern Railway]][[CSX]] railroad tracks, between [[29th Avenue North]] and [[32nd Avenue North]], abutting the [[Collegeville Homes]] public housing project.
#REDIRECT [[Council President Maxine Herring Parker Bridge]]
 
Construction of the bridge 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 for decades. Environmental impact studies of various alternate proposals for a Finley Avenue extension were published in the early 1980s, but it wasn't 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, that community leaders took on the challenge themselves.
 
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 and, after months of delays, the completed bridge was dedicated on [[June 13]], [[2017]].
 
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}}
 
==External links==
{{Locate | lat= 33.553 | lon=-86.805 | type=h | zoom=16}}
 
[[Category:F. L. Shuttlesworth Drive]]
[[Category:Bridges]]
[[Category:2017 buildings]]

Latest revision as of 13:18, 6 January 2024

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