The roughly 1-mile stretch of land were the Interstate 59/20 bridges looks a bit naked with most of the old bridge structures now destroyed. But, Alabama Department of Transportation officials say you’ll see the new bridges soon.

Erection of the new Interstate 59/20 bridges is set to begin the week of March 11.

Demolition of the old bridges began about six weeks ago when I-59/20 through downtown Birmingham closed Jan. 21. The roughly one-mile stretch of interstate is one of Alabama’s busiest with around 160,000 traveling it daily.

Demolition of the old bridges will not be completed until the end of March. ALDOT officials say the contractor is currently on schedule to complete the bridge project in 14 months. If the demolition and construction of the new bridge is completed on schedule, the highway will be reopened in March 2020.

If the contractor, the Johnson Brothers Corporation, doesn’t reopen the roadway in 425 days, it will face financial penalties to the tune of $250,000 per day the roadway is closed. If the roadway is opened in less time, the contractor will get $250,000 for every day it’s opened early with the maximum incentive of $15 million if the roadway is reopened in 12 months.

All the new bridge columns are now cast, awaiting placement, ALDOT officials said. The columns and segments are being cast at a casting yard near the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth airport. The contractor is still casting the segments of the new bridges. Some of the completed pieces are being held at a holding facility at Richard Arrington, Jr. Boulevard and 40th Street North in Woodlawn.