BROUGHT TO YOU BY
January 2025 | Volume 15 | Issue 10
Serving the Birmingham area since 1958. SERVING MOUNTAIN BROOK, THE 280 CORRIDOR, HOMEWOOD, HOOVER, TRUSSVILLE AND VESTAVIA HILLS
MOUNTAIN BROOK’S COMMUNITY NEWS SOURCE VILLAGELIVINGONLINE.COM | STARNESMEDIA.COM
GUINSERVICE.COM
205-595-4846
AL#12175
Traffic on U.S. 280 comes to a stop below the Pump House Road bridge in November. In 2025, an extra lane will be added on either side of the road from Lakeshore Drive to I-459. There are also proposals to add another lane onto the bridge. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
US 280 expansion set to begin; officials hope expansion cuts down on cut-through traffic By TAYLOR BRIGHT U.S. 280 congestion may be getting a little worse in the next couple of years — and then, officials hope, a whole lot better. The state is set to begin construction on the widening of 280 as soon as February, the Alabama Department of Transportation said. The project is expected to last two years. The project is designed to add to the capacity for cars traveling along the western end of the highway, which runs through Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills. According to data from ALDOT, the busiest point of 280, near Overton Road, has an average of nearly 105,000 vehicles traveling that point daily. By comparison, only the interstates are more traveled in the metro area. Interstate 20/59 by the Tallapoosa Street exit has more than 150,000 vehicles driving on it daily. Mountain Brooks officials hope the project will steer drivers to the new 280 instead of cutting through the city’s residential neighborhoods, where residents have complained about the additional traffic.
What to expect this year in Mountain Brook By SARAH OWENS There are plenty of things to keep an eye out for in Mountain Brook in 2025. Here are our top five projects to watch in the new year.
Zoo at the intersection of the U.S. 280 ramps, Cahaba Road, Lane Park Road and Culver Road. The project includes two roundabouts adjacent to each
ROUNDABOUTS
See LOOK AHEAD | page 20
The city plans to build roundabouts near the Birmingham
INSIDE
Sponsors.............................4 City.......................................6
Schoolhouse.......................8 Business.............................10
See 280 EXPANSION | page 22 Events.................................12 Sports.................................14
Community........................18 facebook.com/villageliving
All-South Metro
Rock the Show
Spartans take home Player of the Year honors.
Mountain Brook High School graduate wins University of Alabama Battle of the Bands.
See page 14-17
Cummings
See page 18
HIGHEST PRICES FOR GOLD EVER!
JEWELRY DESIGN
Vestavia Hills Cahaba Heights
205-298-9144 3166 Heights Village, 35243
cummingsjewelrydesign.com
All Types of Gold & Silver Coins
Now is the time to sell!
$10,000 paid