U.S. Sen. Katie Britt joined Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie and other local leadership Wednesday to review progress on Birmingham’s Northern Beltline.

The completed beltline, which has been in development on and off for the past 30 years, consists of a 52-mile, six-lane corridor stretching from I-59 in northeast Jefferson County to the I-459 interchange with I-59/20 near Bessemer.

The next segment, scheduled for completion by 2026, is the connection between State Routes 75 and 79 in Pinson, according to a recent release from the Coalition for Regional Transport.

“The Birmingham Northern Beltline is a crucial project not just for local communities but for our state and for the entire region,” Britt said in the release.

“This is exactly the kind of work I came and asked you all to let me do in Washington, D.C. It’s also how I believe that federal transportation and infrastructure dollars should be spent – strategically and in a way that drives growth for local communities.”

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, the Birmingham Business Alliance, and other state and federal supporters of the project have expressed high hopes that it will serve as an economic driver for the region.

Area first responders are also big supporters of the project.

“It’s going to boost our economy, create jobs and strengthen our infrastructure,” said Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie this week.

“But I tell you, speaking as a first responder and as fire chief, what excites me most about the Northern Beltline is not just what it will do for our economy but what it will do for public safety. It will save lives.”

Alabama’s congressional delegation previously secured $525 million in federal funding, which will complete the first 10-mile segment of the Northern Beltline that will connect State Route 75 near Palmerdale to U.S. Highway 31 near Gardendale, according to a recent release from the Coalition for Regional Transport.

That segment is expected to be complete sometime within the next year, according to a previous timeline from the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Opponents of the project have told AL.com that it’s a waste of money that could be better spent on improving existing Birmingham infrastructure.