BIRMINGHAM, Alabama --Several hundred parking spaces under the Interstate 20/59 elevated highway near the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex are about to go away.

Citing safety concerns, the Alabama Department of Transportation has told Birmingham officials that parking must eliminated by August 25. The area underneath the bridge will then be closed for parking.

The area beneath the bridges is a major parking area, particularly during events at the BJCC and Sheraton.

Letters send to the city and county expressed concern about the safety of the public beneath the bridges as the reason for ending the parking agreements.

The city and ALDOT since 1974 have had an agreement that allows Birmingham to have meters underneath the interstate.

State officials are currently mulling short-term and long-term options for the future, including replacing the elevated highway.

BJCC Executive Director Tad Snider said his facility would work to find alternative parking and let customers know the locations. Snider said the BJCC would immediately begin a process to inform customers of the change. Signage and social media are all tools that will be used, he said.

"Primarily we've got to work with our customers to absorb parking in that area," he said. "We don't have that plan completely put together yet. We knew it would be coming at some point, just not now."

Councilwoman Kim Rafferty, chairwoman of the council's transportation committee, said officials knew the parking would eventually go away when the state revamped the interstate above. But the recent notice is a surprise, coming before actual work, she said.

"Of course, we knew this was to be an eventuality with the rebuilding and repair of the corridor bridges, but we were not prepared for the sudden closure, due to extenuating safety hazards," she said. "It is not a decision I argue with but the city administration, the BJCC, the council transportation committee, ALDOT, and other interested parties should have been called to a joint meeting to begin work on mitigating the loss of the 700 parking spaces."

Rafferty said she is seeking more details and will discuss the issue at her July committee meeting.

"Hopefully we will be better informed over the next two weeks to be able to offer options and action going forward," she said.

The city has about 6,000 metered parking spaces spanning downtown and Southside.