Michigan Avenue Closure Starts Nov. 2 as Crews Build Roundabout Entrance to New Mobile Airport

MOBILE, Ala. — The intersection of Michigan Avenue and Broad Street near the Brookley Aeroplex will close Monday, Nov. 2, as crews begin building a roundabout that will become the main entrance to the new Mobile International Airport. The Mobile Airport Authority said the Michigan Avenue closure is scheduled to stay in place through March 22.

The project is one of several road upgrades the airport authority has planned around Brookley before the new commercial passenger terminal opens next spring. Officials cautioned that the dates and traffic patterns could change as work progresses.

What closes on Nov. 2

According to the airport authority, the following changes take effect Monday, Nov. 2:

• Michigan Avenue: Closed from south of Interstate 10 to Avenue I.
• Broad Street: Closed west of 3rd Street.

How to reach Brookley during construction

The airport authority has laid out detour routes for businesses and aviation operators in the area:

• Businesses east of Michigan Avenue: Use the Duval Street or Broad Street exits from I-10.
• Businesses south of Broad Street: Use Perimeter Road and Dauphin Island Parkway.
• Fixed base operators (FBOs): Use the designated Perimeter Road detour to Michigan Avenue.

Fixed base operators are the businesses at an airport that serve private and corporate aircraft, providing services such as fueling, hangar space, maintenance and passenger lounges. Pilots, passengers and employees headed to those businesses at Brookley will need to follow the posted detour rather than using the direct Michigan Avenue route.

Drivers who usually exit I-10 and head straight down Michigan Avenue into Brookley should plan on extra travel time and follow detour signs for the duration of the closure.

Closure at a glance

• Start: Monday, Nov. 2
• Expected end: March 22
• Location: Michigan Avenue and Broad Street intersection near Mobile International Airport
• Work: Construction of a roundabout that will serve as the airport’s main entrance
• Agency: Mobile Airport Authority
• Note: Dates and traffic patterns are subject to change

Why a roundabout

The new roundabout will replace the “T” intersection where Broad Street ends at Michigan Avenue. Michigan Avenue provides a direct connection from Interstate 10 into the Brookley campus and is a major corridor for industrial traffic to and from the aeroplex.

Adam Hays, the airport authority’s acting executive director, has described the existing intersection as a failing one that is critical to the success of Brookley. When the project was discussed at the authority’s September board meeting, Hays said, “This intersection is critical for the opening of our airport as well as to serve Brookley as a whole.”

Airport officials have said it is important to have the roundabout finished before the new terminal opens so that travelers do not immediately run into traffic backups. Moving commercial passenger service to Brookley will change traffic patterns in the area, adding passengers, rental cars, rideshare vehicles and airport employees to roads that now mostly serve industrial and aviation businesses.

Roundabouts keep traffic moving continuously rather than stopping it at a signal or stop sign. Because drivers enter by yielding instead of waiting through a full signal cycle, roundabouts can handle surges in traffic, like those that happen around flight arrivals and departures, with less queuing. Studies by transportation agencies have also found that roundabouts reduce serious crashes, because vehicles travel at lower speeds and in the same direction.

Why the intersection is closing completely

The airport authority considered keeping the intersection open during construction but concluded that doing so would make the project take longer and cost more. “It was kind of a no brainer,” Hays told the board in September. “We had to go ahead and shut it all down.”

Building a roundabout while traffic continues to flow through the work zone generally requires temporary lanes, shifting traffic patterns and more phases of construction. A full closure allows crews to work more quickly in a defined window. Earlier preparation for the project included relocating power lines and other utilities.

The first roundabout is already open

The Michigan Avenue project is the second of two roundabouts the airport authority planned on roads leading to the new airport. The first connects the airport entrance road to Perimeter Road. Work on that roundabout began in June, and it opened Aug. 24, well ahead of schedule.

The Michigan Avenue roundabout is larger and is expected to be more disruptive because of the volume of traffic it carries and its direct link to I-10.

The new Mobile International Airport

The roadwork is part of the broader effort to move scheduled passenger airline service from Mobile Regional Airport in west Mobile to the downtown-area Brookley site. The terminal project, estimated at $381 million, includes the new terminal building, a parking deck and related facilities. Officials have said the move to the new terminal is expected to happen all at once, and they have described the target as spring 2027 without announcing a specific opening date.

Supporters of the move have argued that a terminal at Brookley puts travelers minutes from downtown hotels, restaurants, the convention center and the Alabama Cruise Terminal. The authority has been holding frequent meetings and working with a transition consultant, airlines, the Transportation Security Administration and rental car companies to prepare for opening day.

Once airline service moves, the Mobile Regional Airport site will continue to serve general aviation and other functions while the authority evaluates its long-term use.

About Brookley

The Brookley Aeroplex occupies the site of the former Brookley Air Force Base, which closed in 1969 after decades as a major employer in Mobile. The property has since been redeveloped as an industrial and aviation complex. Today it is home to Airbus’ commercial aircraft final assembly lines, along with aerospace, maintenance and logistics businesses with a large daily workforce.

Because of that workforce, the closure will affect daily commuters as well as visitors and businesses. Employers at Brookley may share additional guidance with their employees about the best routes during construction.

Road improvements around Brookley have drawn attention in other ways this year. In May, the city removed a row of live oaks from the Michigan Avenue median to make room for a turn lane tied to an airport authority economic development project, prompting objections from the Mobile Tree Commission and tree advocates who said the removal should have gone before the commission first.

Tips for navigating the closure

• Check your route before you leave, especially if you work at or regularly visit Brookley.
• Use the Duval Street or Broad Street exits from I-10 for businesses east of Michigan Avenue.
• Use Perimeter Road and Dauphin Island Parkway for businesses south of Broad Street.
• Follow posted detour signs and watch for workers and equipment near the construction zone.
• Allow extra time, particularly during morning and afternoon shift changes.

How to drive a roundabout

For drivers who are not used to roundabouts, the basic rules are simple:

• Slow down as you approach and watch for pedestrians at crosswalks.
• Yield to traffic already in the roundabout, which has the right of way.
• Enter when there is a safe gap and travel counterclockwise.
• Do not stop inside the roundabout except to avoid a crash.
• Use your right turn signal before you exit.

What comes next

If the schedule holds, the intersection is expected to reopen as a roundabout by late March, ahead of the new terminal’s opening. The airport authority said dates and traffic patterns could change, and updates are expected from the Mobile Airport Authority as construction continues.