Alabama’s first public-private partnership transportation project for Interstate 10 might not be coming to coastal Alabama after Gov. Kay Ivey declared a new bridge and Bayway project “dead” in August.

But the southern region of the state will still host a transportation first next year for Alabama when a new interstate interchange is rolled out in Baldwin County.

Alabama’s first diverging diamond interchange, a $7.3 million reconfiguration of a congested area surrounded by retail development and a large church, is under construction at Alabama State Route 181 and I-10 in Spanish Fort and Daphne.

State transportation officials aren’t expecting major lane closures or disruptions that would traffic headaches ahead of a critical shopping season. The interchange is a close distance to the Eastern Shore Centre, Lowe’s, Sam’s Club and numerous car dealerships and eateries. The average daily traffic count for the area is 60,281 vehicles.

“During peak holiday times, there are going to be no lane closures,” said Katelyn Turner, spokeswoman with the Alabama Department of Transportation.

But after the holiday season, a full-on public relations blitz will be underway about an interchange most drivers have likely never experienced, and which has created some confusion among motorists where its been introduced.

Crews installing drainage yesterday across Papa George Street in front of Historic Malbis as a part of widening efforts leading up to the Diverging Diamond Interchange. pic.twitter.com/qMCOZYmd8Y — ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) November 6, 2019

“We’re putting together a PR plan and are getting things in place to re-educate the public,” said Turner. “The bulk of the public information campaign will start early next year.”

The state plans on updating its online instructional video in January. ALDOT is also planning radio and TV advertisements about the new intersection that will be rolled out closer to when it’s completed.

Right now, construction work is well underway, with crews working on paving and widening I-10 eastbound and westbound on-ramps from Route 181.

Turner said the state has gotten few calls or questions about what is going on at the site. “They see the construction and what’s going on,” she said. “I think people are aware.”

Turner said she’s unsure when the new interchange will open. She said it should be wrapped up during the spring of 2020.

The interchange is designed to improve the traffic flow efficiency and safety by reducing the number of conflict points and traffic signals.

At first glance, the design looks complex but proponents say it’s a relatively simple way to cross a busy interchange. Diverging diamonds, sometimes called “double crossover diamond," require drivers to cross to the left – or the opposite – side the road through a designed crossover section. Drivers then travel a limited distance before crossing back to the traditional side of the road.

The unconventional interchange has been embraced by the Federal Highway Administration as transportation officials seek designs that promote safety while decreasing congestion and reducing construction costs.

Diverging diamond interchanges are a French import to the United States, with its first usage occurring just outside of Paris in the 1970s.

The concept was born in the U.S. through a term paper written in 2000 by University of Maryland graduate student Giblert Chleicki. The nation’s first diverging diamond interchange opened in Springfield, Mo., in 2009. The design saved Missouri officials $13 million on what would’ve been a conventional interchange without the diamond-shape structure.

There are 99 diverging diamond interchanges in the U.S., with the most recent opening occurring in August at I-24 and U.S 60 in Paducah, Ky.

Heard of a Diverging Diamond Interchange before? This double crossover diamond is in effect at various locations across the state. What are your thoughts? Comment below! pic.twitter.com/qAWL7ENsdW — Georgia DOT (@GADeptofTrans) November 7, 2019

DRIVING TAMPA BAY FORWARD 🚗 FDOT planning diverging diamond interchange at I-75 and MLK https://t.co/Wf1mNW3xON pic.twitter.com/Qu04kIm7Oa — ABC Action News (@abcactionnews) November 6, 2019