An initiative to build a new exit off Interstate-459 in Hoover will receive $16 million in federal transportation support, city leaders announced.
The interchange will be constructed on I-459 near mile marker 9, between Exit 6, the Morgan Road exit, and Exit 10 at John Hawkins Parkway, immediately south of the South Shades Crest Road overpass.
“Exit 9 will reduce traffic congestion and improve the quality of life for our residents,” Mayor Nick Derzis said. “Any resident who travels Highway 150 or Interstate 459 during the afternoon commute understands why it was worth pursuing.”
Hundreds of thousands of vehicles travel that segment of I-459 each day. The new interchange is designed to divert traffic, including commercial truck traffic, from Highway 150 and relieve the heavily used Exit 10 interchange.
The new exit will feature a diverging diamond design, auxiliary lanes extending to Exit 10, bridges over I-459, and ramp bridges spanning the CSX railroad. Ross Bridge Parkway will also be extended from Alabama Highway 150 to Brock’s Gap Parkway at South Shades Crest Road.
The project is scheduled to begin the bidding process in late 2026.
Additional money for the project comes after an amendment to the Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Improvement Program.
The funding draws on federal Surface Transportation funds that were dedicated to the Birmingham region and comes after months of coordination and collaboration among several regional partners, Derzis said.
“Exit 9 has never been just a Hoover project; it’s a regional one that will improve traffic flow in several portions of Jefferson and Shelby Counties,” Derzis said. “I am grateful to the Regional Planning Commission staff and to every MPO committee member who saw the value in this investment.”
The city of Hoover in 2023 borrowed $61 million for construction of the Exit 9 project.
Interstate projects such as Exit 9 are typically structured with an 80% federal/state and 20% local split of project costs.
However, revised costs for Exit 9 have climbed to about $130.8 million, an increase that would have raised Hoover’s total financial obligation to nearly $72 million.
The new federal funding will reduce the cost burden for the city and offset the increase in project costs. The city’s cost for Exit 9 is now lowered to about $55.9 million, roughly $5 million below the initial $61 million that Hoover committed in 2023.
“My administration is committed to disciplined fiscal management and to smart, planned growth,” said Derzis, who took office in Nov. 2025. “While 100% committed to the Exit 9 project, I have been critical of the financial terms the city originally agreed to. I am pleased that, through proper planning and communication with our regional partners and the MPO, we have lowered the burden on Hoover taxpayers.”