For the Tennessee Valley Region, this concept always made the most sense to me. This would greatly impact the Florence/Muscle Shoals area as well as the Huntsville/Decatur/Athens area. Hwy 20/Alt 72 could be easily be upgraded to "controlled access" highway from Muscle Shoals to near Decatur. Decatur officials are already pushing forward with the extension from I-65 to Hwy 31 just north of the river. The only problem(which could be overcome), would be crossing the river at Decatur. Shoals area officials should put this on the frontburner since the economy of the "Shoals" is connected more and more to the ecomomy of the "Valley Triad"(Huntsville/Decatur/Athens).
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