The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) began its access management project on U.S.-231 in Troy back in December 2024, and the project is on track for a summer completion.

The project is ongoing along U.S.-231 from Elba Highway to Industrial Park Boulevard and will see the limitation of some turning movements by installing raised concrete islands in the median and U-Turn bulbs at multiple locations along the corridor. 

These U-Turn bulbs – or reduced conflict intersections – are special types of intersections “designed to make crossing a busy highway safer and quicker. Instead of drivers trying to cross multiple lanes of traffic at once, these U-Turn bulbs help separate the movements of vehicles in an effort to reduce the chances of a crash.” 

“The bulbs allow larger vehicles to successfully make U-turns to reduce the number of conflict points,” ALDOT Public Information Officer Brantley Kirk said. 

The U-Turn bulb locations will be at a number of locations on U.S.-231. Southbound between Lakeside Drive and Elba Highway will have a bulb and there will be one southbound at Lakeside Drive. There will also be three separate U-Turn bulbs at the section of Troy Plaza Loop to Emma Drive. One will be located southbound at Trojan Parkway, while there will be one northbound between Dozier Drive and So. Franklin Drive. Another will be located northbound between So. Franklin Drive and Emma Drive.

There will also be a U-Turn bulb southbound between Limestone Spring Road and Mockingbird Lane along with one northbound before Diamond Drive. 

Wiregrass Construction Company of Dothan was awarded the $2.7 million contract for the project. While drivers will continue to see anticipated lane closers and reduced speed limits during the construction, Kirk said that the project is still on track to be completed in the summer.