Alabama Department of Transportation Key Terms

Understanding terminology relevant to dealing with the Alabama Department of Transportation

By Kim Finn

If you own a small business in Alabama or plan to open a business, you'll probably deal with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) at some point to hash out easements, rights of way, paving and other issues. Additionally, the ALDOT serves as a valuable information resource for small business owners when it comes to deciding on business locations or avoiding traffic jams.

When dealing with ALDOT, you'll get further faster if you understand terminology that's common within the department. This guide starts with a definition of the department itself and then moves to Permits and Operations, STWP, traffic count polling system, I-65 reverse laning and Coliseum Boulevard Plume.

Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT)

The Alabama Department of Transportation is headquartered in Montgomery, AL and is organized geographically into nine divisions. The state organization's purpose is to ensure all intermodal transportation users within the state have access to a safe, environmentally sound and efficient transportation system.
Try: Find more information on the Alabama Department of Transportation website.

Permits and Operations

Permits and Operations is a section of the ALDOT's Maintenance Bureau. It deals with permits related to outdoor signage, encroachment, turnouts, grading, landscaping and anything to do with rights-of-way.
Try: Click on any of the links listed at the Permits and Operations web page to print off the forms you need.

Statewide Transportation Plan (SWTP)

The Statewide Transportation Plan is a 20-year plan that includes provisions for all types of transportation and is updated by the ALDOT every five years. The ALDOT coordinates its efforts with the state's urban and rural areas and adheres to all federal regulatory requirements.
Try: Learn more about Alabama's Statewide Transportation Plan.

Traffic count polling system

The ALDOT maintains a traffic count polling system on its website that allows users to view the amount of daily vehicular traffic at a particular location. Not only can the live traffic counts help you avoid traffic jams while traveling in the state, they can also help you decide on a business location based on traffic levles.
Try: Explore the ALDOT traffic count polling system at its website.

I-65 Reverse Laning

I-65 reverse laning refers to the process of turning a north-bound section of the interstate into a south-bound section or vice versa. This is a temporary measure put into action during mandatory hurricane evacuations to keep evacuation traffic flowing.
Try: Visit the ALDOT Maintenance Bureau website to learn more about the I-65 reverse laning plan.

Coliseum Boulevard Plume (CBP)

Coliseum Boulevard Plume (CBP) refers to a 682-acre area in north Montgomery with underlying groundwater contamination that occurred because of solvent use by commercial and industrial companies in the past. The solvent, Trichloroethylene (TCE), now impacts groundwater 25 to 45 feet deep. The ALDOT continually monitors specific areas within the CBP for TCE in surface water and conducts a program providing information to the public on its activities and findings regarding TCE in the area. It also evaluates remedial, institutional and engineering actions to manage and control TCE in the area.
Try: Learn more about the CBP at ALDOT's Coliseum Boulevard Plume website.