The Resolute Way interchange at Interstate 565 just west of Research Park Boulevard that will improve access to Redstone Arsenal is now scheduled for construction in 2026, according to a Directorate of Public Works planning official.
“The project is a four-lane divided roadway allowing access on and off of I-565 from the west of Redstone Arsenal in order to alleviate traffic congestion and safety issues associated with the existing Research Park interchange,” Jake Roth, chief of master planning with the Garrison’s DPW, said.
Roth said the project will ease traffic congestion on I-565 at the existing Research Park exit and allow Redstone Arsenal employees and personnel who work in the Redstone Gateway development another traffic route to get onto the installation or into the back of the Gateway development.
The interchange is one of seven road projects that Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle highlighted in his State of the City address late last year. The mayor said then that the projects, part of the second phase of the Restore Our Roads initiative that was estimated to cost about $800 million, will “positively reshape how we move around the city.” The initiative also included the East Arsenal Connector that will run from the I-565 Sparkman Drive exit to Patton Road.
“We are focused on the safety and security of our personnel and that includes their route to and from the workplace,” Roth said. “We have a great relationship with the city and surrounding community and want to be aware of our impact to local roads. We appreciate the support of the city, ALDOT (Alabama Department of Transportation) and FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) moving this project forward into the next stages of design.”
The project is slated for construction in 2026, according to Roth.
“We have a long way to go and a lot of work to get done before then,” he said. “We have identified a route that seems to meet all Redstone and FHWA requirements and have conceptual plans in place.
“We recently completed our environmental documentation for NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) compliance, and the next steps are working toward completed design drawings and working with the city on real estate transactions necessary to allow the project to occur.”
The NEPA requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their proposed actions before making decisions.
“Our current path forward is to complete an easement dedicated to the city for the construction of the interchange modification,” Roth said. “This area encompasses approximately 38 acres of Army property and requires use of existing right of way along I-565 as well as the potential for acquisition of 6.3 additional acres necessary to complete the roadway construction.”
The Corps of Engineers is “our land-holding command and would be ultimately responsible for determining the exact language and type of agreement executed between the Army and the city, state or other federal entities,” according to Roth.
The Army will need to demolish two small existing buildings that remain in the field just west of Rideout Road, Roth said, and “we plan to begin that work late this calendar year to move forward with the required land transactions once unencumbered.”
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