If you’ve driven near the Birmingham Zoo or Botanical Gardens lately, you’ve probably noticed something big taking shape at one of the metro’s busiest gateways. Two roundabouts are transforming the high-volume intersection cluster shared by Birmingham and Mountain Brook, and the story of how we got here goes back over a decade.
In 2009, roundabouts weren’t exactly mainstream in Alabama. That’s why it caught so many people’s attention when an Australian roundabout expert, Michael Wallwork, walked into a meeting with sketches for multiple roundabouts in the Mountain Brook Village area. At the time, it was out-of-the-box thinking, but the data backed him up.
Anyone familiar with the old layout knows it was tricky. Project goals included:
- clearing congestion,
- increasing safety at a confusing, conflict-heavy intersection, and
- building a gateway for the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Lane Parke development, and Mountain Brook Village.
Why a roundabout system?
Design teams explored a range of options, including two standard roundabouts and even a signalized alternative. However, traffic patterns and site constraints pointed to one best solution: a standard-sized roundabout paired with a mini-roundabout.
This hybrid approach improves flow when volumes are highest while fitting the corridor’s tight footprint. It also allows for a well-marked and landscaped entrance into the area.
Balancing big constraints
The roundabouts weren’t just a geometric challenge — there would be significant challenges with coordination:
- Environmental studies were required involving multiple agencies.
- A federally funded project of this magnitude that changes the landscape of the area takes years to develop.
- COVID impacted the project timeline, requiring delays to the project in order to adapt to changes in adjacent site development.
- The area’s history includes an old pauper’s cemetery. Cultural resource investigations confirmed no burials would be impacted before hillside removal began.
- The need for tree removal created bat-habitat concerns that had to be addressed through mitigation planning and sequencing of construction.
- Right-of-way acquisition had to be minimal, and city leadership worked closely with property owners, including the adjacent property owners, Zoo and Gardens, to reach solutions that kept the project feasible.
- The drainage design consulted a previously prepared study, to improve long-standing stormwater issues in the corridor.
- Meanwhile, Jefferson County Environmental Services installed sanitary sewer infrastructure beneath the roundabout, requiring tight sequencing with construction.
Because this is one of the region’s most walkable visitor zones, sidewalks and crossings were integrated to keep pedestrian access safe and direct between attractions.
Where things stand now
Construction kicked off in January 2025, with storm sewer installation completed in June. The phased construction plan has kept traffic moving by strategically closing small segments at a time, a necessary approach in such a high-demand corridor.
The result is already starting to look like what it was always meant to be: a smoother, safer gateway that matches the importance of the places it serves.
What this means for the community
Once complete, the Mountain Brook Roundabout Projects will:
- reduce stop-and-go delay,
- lower severe crash potential,
- improve wayfinding for visitors, and
- create a welcoming entrance to Birmingham’s premier cultural and recreational district.
This project is rooted in a forward-thinking idea and delivers that vision in a way that fits today’s traffic, safety expectations, and community character.