According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, the contractor on the I-565 widening project anticipates starting work next week to expand the interstate to six lanes through Madison.

The $29 million project stretches from west of County Line Road to east of Wall Triana Highway. It includes adding a third lane in each direction and widening two sets of bridges,  at Bradford Creek just west of Exit 9 (Wall Triana Highway) and at Intergraph Way, and the Norfolk Southern railroad just east of Exit 9, to accommodate the additional lanes.

Wiregrass Construction, plans to begin work Sunday evening, with lane closures expected between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights. ALDOT says daytime traffic should not be affected as heavily. Construction is expected to take approximately two years.

Once the project is complete, I-565 will have a minimum of six lanes from I-65 to Memorial Parkway (U.S. 231/U.S. 431) in Huntsville. The stretch of I-565 through Madison currently sees nearly 70,000 vehicles daily, and the expansion is aimed at alleviating congestion and improving traffic flow for the growing region.

This project follows a previous I-565 widening effort completed in late 2021, which expanded a seven-mile section in Limestone County to six lanes. That project, which cost $14.3 million, widened the interstate from just west of the I-65 interchange to west of County Line Road and was funded through the Rebuild Alabama Act.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270