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We have countdown and no ignition, but ALDOT has two jump-up-and-say yip­pee projects scheduled to go out for bids later this year.

The grading of the Finley Boule­vard extension from U.S. 31 to Ala­bama 79 near East Lake Boulevard in Birmingham is on the schedule. The flyover will extend over railroad tracks from 31 for roughly 1,000 feet. Shuttles­worth Drive will be lengthened to access the flyover.

Birmingham City Council mem­ber Maxine Parker has fought long and hard for this flyover because residents of Collegeville have no outlet if trains are blocking the tracks. The extension has been promised to Collegeville residents for about 41 years.

Also, additional lanes are planned for Coalburg Road from New Sayreton Road to Corridor X.

Maybe when it’s finished, we will no longer bounce along while dodging potholes on Coalburg.

Other proposed projects in the goody bag:

> Intersection improvements, including turn lanes and signal at U.S. 11 and Edwards Lake Road.

Another yippee!

> Intersection improvements along Morgan Road from I-459 to South Shades Crest Road — finally.

> Also on the list is another Cor­ridor X project to extend the one-­day-to-be-an interstate corridor to U.S. 31.

ALDOT officials stress that all these projects are tentative, but we can all hope for blastoff. If you want to talk about these and other highway projects or dilemmas, let’s chat today at 1 at blog.al.com/driver’s-side.

Bumper snicker: Still waiting for the bankers to go to jail.

Comment: Another 18-wheeler wreck recently occurred on the El­ton B. Stephens Expressway ramp.

Several years ago numerous wrecks similar to this one also occurred on the ramp near the airport where I-20 merges with I-59 until rumble strips and arrows indicating a sharp curve were added. There is no warning of the sharp turn on the expressway ramp other than a re­duced­-speed sign. I believe that if a rumble strip and sharp turn signs were installed at the expressway ramp, fewer wrecks would occur. —Gail Hahn, Sterrett.

Update: I recently wrote you about the speed limit sign on I-459 north just north of the Roebuck en­trance being changed from 70 to 60 mph. I noticed this morning that it has been changed back to 70 mph. If you were instrumental in getting this corrected, thank you very much. — Marie Williams, Birmingham.

Q. I understood that I-459 was scheduled for repaving from U.S. 280 to I-59 near Trussville this sum­mer and fall. Do you know when this might begin? — Thomas Bagby, Hoover.

A. Not until next year. The repaving was moved off ALDOT’s projects list for this year and is now tentatively set for bids next January.

Driver’s Side appears on Mondays. Write to driversside@bhamnews.com or visit Ginny MacDonald’s blog at: blog.al.com/drivers-side. Live Chats are on the blog Mondays at 1 p.m. You can follow her on Twitter at @DrivingMissCraz.

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