County Plays Pivotal Role in Industrial Access Road Project

As the number of tenants and employees within the Jetplex Industrial Park surges, passengers traveling in and out of Huntsville International Airport continue to grow, and vehicles using the airport I-565 interchange to access Redstone Arsenal increase, traffic utilizing the airport's main entrance is at an all-time high. In an effort to replace temporary access to the new International Diesel Big Bore facility on I-565 immediately east of the airport interchange as well as help enhance traffic flow at this interchange, the Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority has initiated an Industrial Access Road project. The project consists of a three-lane industrial access road and will connect to a modified intersection of Glenn Hearn Boulevard and James Record Road to minimize ground-level crossing traffic. According to Rick Tucker, Executive Director, Port of Huntsville, “The Industrial Access Road project is a much-needed asset in order to accommodate this important economic development project while at the same time improve traffic flow as our complex continues to grow.”

The estimated $10.7 million project encompasses three phases. Phase one will provide site grading, drainage, and gravel base for the access road and connecting loops. Phase two of the project will complete paving of the three-lane roadway and connecting loops on the west and east sides of Glenn Hearn Boulevard. The loops will enable inbound traffic on Glenn Hearn Boulevard to travel east on James Record Road by crossing under Glenn Hearn Boulevard traffic, thereby eliminating an at-grade crossing. In addition to International Diesel, a number of other tenants will be able to utilize the new industrial access road – including LG Electronics, Raytheon, Turner Universal, Perez Services, and Parfums de Couer, Ltd., which accounts for more than 1,500 employees. The third and final phase of the project will include widening the Glenn Hearn Boulevard outbound bridge over the new industrial access road. In addition to this project, the Airport Authority is working with the city of Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal to widen and upgrade portions of James Record Road and Martin Road from Laracy Drive to Redstone Arsenal Gate 7 at Zierdt Road to accommodate the anticipated growth from BRAC.

Implementing a project of this magnitude is not only a huge financial undertaking, but also requires a vast amount of resources. The Airport Authority secured a $1.5 million industrial access road and bridge grant through the Alabama Department of Transportation, which will be administered by the City of Huntsville. In addition to this monetary grant, the Airport Authority has received an outpouring of support from Madison County. The County Commission is playing a pivotal role in the initial construction of the industrial access road. Approximately 70,000 cubic yards of dirt is being acquired from acreage within the Jetplex where development is set to begin. The County Engineering department is using its equipment to move and stockpile the dirt in addition to cutting the initial road formation. “Our assistance with the Industrial Access Road project is a natural fit between the County and the Port of Huntsville,” said Mike Gillespie, Chairman, Madison County Commission. “We share the Port of Huntsville’s foresight, planning, and hard work to shape Madison County and the entire Tennessee Valley region to continue as a cornerstone in economic development and attract quality economic projects, such as the International Diesel Big Bore facility.”