REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (WHNT) — The U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal’s Gate 10 will reopen starting on Monday morning in an effort to take the bite out of rush-hour traffic, officials announced.
Starting March 6, Gate 10 on Patton will once again allow employees, military and authorized guests to access the installation after three years of being closed, said Lisa Simunaci, Public Affairs Director for the Arsenal.
Gate 10 was closed in March 2020 when organizations on the Arsenal “maximized telework amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” added Simunaci.
With morning congestion growing at the Arsenal’s busiest gates during recent months, officials made the decision to reopen the Patton Road entrance.
“We’re experiencing increased traffic levels at our busiest gates and we’re making adjustments,” said Redstone Arsenal Garrison Commander Col. Brian Cozine. “We realize that slowdowns at our access points have a domino effect in the surrounding communities and we’re doing our part to ease some of that pressure.”
Starting Monday, March 6, Gate 10 will open for inbound and outbound traffic Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The gate will also stay open for outbound traffic until 5 p.m.
The Redstone Arsenal Visitor Control Center, which had extended hours starting in July 2020, will trim its hours starting March 6. The facility will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will continue to close on weekends and federal holidays.
The center’s extended hours were in an effort to support the registration of the entire Redstone Arsenal community in the pre-Automated Installation Entry operation program, though officials say that most of the workforce is registered, making the extended hours no longer necessary.
Reducing the hours of the visitor center will also free up some members of the guard force to staff gate operations.
“I encourage commuters who use Gate 7 off Zierdt Road or Gate 9 near I-565 to consider using Gate 10,” Cozine said. “We will continue to monitor traffic flow and adjust our gate access accordingly.”
