Birmingham Lights Up Dark Interstates

0:00It's April 1st, Birmingham News. Today starts now, AI powered and ready. I'm Cory with the story. Birmingham just made moves to light up those pitch black interstates that have haunted drivers for years. City Council approved $2 million from a surplus for a lighting project on key stretches, tackling safety headaches on busy routes like. Interstate 20 slash 59. Earlier this week, Mayor Randall Woodford's spending plan got the green light, folding this into bigger infrastructure pushes. The cash covers a local match to pull in federal funds with the Alabama Department of Transportation and regional planners kicking in 2.4 million each. Commuters have grived forever about relying only on headlights at nine, calling an eerie and risky. Leaders like Councillor Hunter Williams say dark highways feel unwelcoming and it's a top complaint hitting the mayor's office stretching back over a decade due to high maintenance costs on local budgets. Now they're launching a pilot without dot to share those bills and expand lights. Phase one hits interstate 20 slash 59

1:04from 66th street north to the East Lake area at 88th street with phase two pushing to the interstate 459 interchange. Contracts could drop as soon as July for the first part, September for the next with construction taking 10 to 18 months. This could blueprint safer nights across Alabama if it works. Finally easing those tense drives and welcoming folks home under brighter skies.