Redstone Arsenal makes gate changes to combat traffic when entering installation
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (WHNT) — As more and more employees return to work in person on Redstone Arsenal, the traffic driving in every day continues to grow, and the number of cars creates a traffic buildup outside of the gates.
Garrison Commander Col. Brian Cozine said they are implementing changes to hopefully alleviate some of this traffic.
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Over the past several months, they have seen between 38,000 and 41,000 people driving through the Redstone Arsenal’s Gates. Col. Cozine said they expect it to hit 43,000 by the end of July.
To adapt to the growth, they are closing Gate 8 during their peak hours of 5:30 to 10 a.m. and switching over to Gate 10 for Monday through Friday.
“We’ll close down Gate 10 at 10:00, and we’ll reopen gate eight starting at 10 until 9:30 at night.. that way we can try to adjust that,” said Col. Cozine. “After 10:00, the traffic is manageable for us here on Redstone Arsenal. It’s just that morning commute on our peak days, and that’s what we’re trying to help mitigate for the city and for us as well.”
Col. Cozine said the growth is the new normal, and if you want to get through it quickly, there are some things you can do to help speed up the process.
“When you come into the gate, just remember to have all your credentials available for us,” said Cozine. “So that way, we can help expedite traffic, go into the installation, and if you do find a lane that is open, please use that lane as well.”
These new changes will go into effect beginning Monday, July 22nd.
Redstone Arsenal will also be starting their “Full-scale Exercise” next week to test their response time to large hazardous events.
If you hear or see anything near Redstone Arsenal out of the normal, do not worry, as officials say it is a part of these tests. They will be saying “exercise,” three times before announcing them on radios or scanners.
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