HOOVER, Ala. (WBMA) — A court ruling favors longtime Hoover homeowner James Robertson in a closely watched condemnation case tied to the city’s proposed I-459 Exit 9 interchange — a project years in the making that has now hit a major roadblock.
The ruling halts efforts by the City of Hoover and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to take Robertson’s property through eminent domain for the multi-million-dollar highway project. Robertson, who has lived on Old Section Road since 1969, has spent over a year fighting to keep the land he calls irreplaceable, that he said he would be okay with it being taken, if he was given proof of why.
The Exit 9 interchange was designed to relieve traffic congestion and open new commercial corridors by extending Ross Bridge Parkway to connect with South Shades Crest Road and Highway 150. City leaders have long said the project is essential to support Hoover’s growth, but Robertson insists the plans went too far…