Mayor Battle calls on federal, state governments to support major road projects
HUNTSVILLE – The population of the Huntsville metro area has increased by 27% over the last ten years to a total of 570,000 people. That means a lot of wear and tear on area roads.
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle called on federal and state partners to pitch in to infrastructure projects in his state of the city address with the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce on November 9.
“Huntsville has done its part to help deliver a half a billion dollars in road improvements. We’ve invested our own tax dollars to accelerate state projects because our growth didn’t wait. So, now, we need the state and federal governments to step up,” said Battle.
He specifically called for state and federal partners to support the extension of I-565 to Shields Road, rebuilding the I-565 and Memorial Parkway interchange, and add capacity to Highway 72 west.
“These are major state and federal highways, and their improvements are beyond what any one city should be expected to fund,” he said. “We’ve been patient. We’ve been good partners, and we’ve put our money where our mouth is. Now, it’s North Alabama’s turn. I’ll keep working that case in Montgomery and in Washington until we can get transportation investment our people and our economy deserve.”
Battle promised the city of Huntsville’s investment in improvements to Exit 3 on I-565 at Highway 20, Resolute Way, and Winchester Road, and in the County Line Road relocation to prepare for an additional runway at Huntsville International Airport.
“These projects mean less congestion, better connections, and more time back with our families,” he said.
Huntsville is now the 94th largest city in the United States by population and the 28th largest city by land mass. The 27% growth in population since 2016 places Huntsville among the top 20 fastest-growing cities in the country.
