Many Alabama lawmakers believe now is the time to plan for an eventual expansion of I-65 through the Yellowhammer State.

The State Senate recently passed a resolution calling on the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to study the issue of widening I-65 from Tennessee to the Gulf.

“BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That the Alabama Department of Transportation is urged to study and prioritize improvements and additional capacity for Interstate 65,” the resolutions says, “with the eventual goal of having an appropriate number of lanes in each direction on all sections of the interstate.”

The resolution was led by State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman), who discussed the issue Wednesday with WSFA News 12 in Montgomery.

WSFA in Montgomery covered our effort to widen I-65 from the Tennessee line to the Gulf of Mexico so we can finally end the needless delays and standstill traffic that occur far too often on this main artery through Alabama. Join us in pushing to #gowide65 https://t.co/b6pP8SAAQ0

— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) June 8, 2023

“This is such an artery throughout the state of Alabama; we need to make sure that we keep that artery clean and as efficient for travelers as possible and let it help all of our communities and towns as people travel through every day,” Gudger said. “If we don’t start planning for the future, then we’re never going to be able to be where we need to be 15 years from now.”

Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth has been leading the effort to make the issue a priority in the near future.

I proposed widening I-65 to six lanes from the Tennessee line to the Gulf because its gridlock hurts economic development, frustrates travelers, and raises questions about how tax dollars are being spent.  Many thanks to Sen. Garland Gudger for supporting our plan to fix I-65. pic.twitter.com/qIpBYb11Wk

— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) May 19, 2023

“I proposed widening I-65 to six lanes from the Tennessee line to the Gulf,” Ainsworth said on Twitter, “because its gridlock hurts economic development, frustrates travelers, and raises questions about how tax dollars are being spent.”

ALDOT has not yet responded to the idea, but legislators hope to have a study ready for the next session.

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee