alabama

Ameri Metro the York PA based company promoting a supposed $7 billion 300 mile tollroad and inland port in western Alabama is nearly broke, according to its own auditor. Publicity materials put out on behalf of the company and its principal Shah Mathias are a fraud. They claim he has billions of dollars of development wealth to draw on to back the tollroad/port project.

It was a dream PR launch. Associated Press, CBS, Better Roads, all the local newspapers and radio in Alabama took it seriously. The Mobile Alabama Press-Register had an obscure York PA real estate man as a "Toll road leader" who said he could raise $7 billion for a toll project in western Alabama without any government help. And had anyone heard of a company called Ameri Metro?

There's another push in Birmingham AL to advance the long argued-over upgrade of a southeast radial US280 with toll lanes. State governor Bob Riley said this week he hopes a compromise plan by Alabama DOT will enable the project to move forward. He wants it open by by end-2013.

Dear Mr. Samuel,

In response to your recent article titled “On the Wiregrass Turnpike controversy - critics seize on our not-for-profit comment." 

One of your comments (quote) "One county located on I-10 shouldn't be able to deny more remote counties high standard connections to the modern road network with a selfish "What's in it for us?"

I would like to respond by simply saying that I am outraged and extremely insulted regarding you comments about small (counties) towns.

It's hard slogging for promoters of a spur tollroad off I-10 in the Florida panhandle to the Wiregrass region of southeast Alabama. This week in Washington County Florida where it was planned to connect with I-10, county commissioners voted 3 to 2 against support for the project.

There's much sound and fury surrounding the proposed road and finger wagging about the secrecy of the promoters, and the "lack of information."