Downtown Birmingham Linear Park The Focus Of Upcoming Public Meetings

By Michael Sznajderman

A proposal to create a mile-long linear park underneath the rebuilt Interstate 59/20 elevated highway through downtown Birmingham is generating excitement among city and community leaders.

The proposal is in the conceptual stage, and is expected to be unveiled for community discussion before two meetings next month. Officials emphasize that nothing is firm and that community residents will be encouraged to provide ideas about what should go in the public space.

The linear park would run for 10 blocks underneath the widened highway from 15th Street to 25th Street North – starting near the Civil Rights District and ending just beyond the Uptown entertainment district, east of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC). In comparison, Birmingham’s popular Railroad Park, while significantly wider, is only four blocks long.State transportation officials and others participating in the process say the new public space is possible because of the way the elevated highway will be rebuilt. For example, the rebuilt interstate will have no vehicle exit or entrance ramps along the 10-block stretch, making the space below the highway more inviting for pedestrians and public activities. Enhanced lighting that can change color, similar to the 14th and 18th Street tunnels near Railroad Park, also promises to make the proposed linear park more pleasant.

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