With one of the state’s busiest roads now under construction for over a year, some UA students are fearing the chaos that may arise when needing to travel through Birmingham.

The closure of a portion of Interstate 59/20 through downtown Birmingham is due to construction that began on Jan. 21, and it is expected to last 14 months. This popular interstate is commonly known as an efficient way to get to several destinations the UA community travels to, such as the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.

Katrina Waelchi, a senior majoring in public relations, said when visiting Birmingham from Tuscaloosa, she and her friends avert driving through downtown as the construction is such a contingency on traffic.

“I’m just really surprised because it does not seem like there is any progress going on,” Waelchi said. “Whenever I’ve driven through the area to go to the airport or anywhere in Birmingham, I have not noticed any substantial progress in the past four years.”

Elizabeth Summers, a senior majoring in public relations, said as a Birmingham native, she is excited for the expansion of roads.

“To see Birmingham go under industrialization like this is great,” Summers said. “It may be a disruption, but once the construction is done, I know everyone will benefit from it.”

According to a Birmingham Times article, Mayor Randall Woodfin recently made changes due to this construction, such as expanding service hours to better serve commuters and committing $5 million to continue road upgrades.

According to UA News Center, the Alabama Department of Transportation recommends a few alternate routes that detour through downtown Birmingham. Click here to view more detailed directions.

“I think it’s great that the state is putting money to improve really popular traffic areas, but I think at this state right now with the low progress, it doesn’t seem to be benefiting, but rather an inconvenience,” Waelchi said.