By Gary Lloyd
CLAY — The resurfacing of Old Springville Road in Clay will begin Monday, March 31.
Clay City Manager Ronnie Dixon said in January that the city was set to contract with Jefferson County for the work. He said Jefferson County would pay $263,500 while Clay would ante up $200,000 for the project.
“They wanted to start (this) week when there wouldn’t be any school bus traffic, but the weather just wouldn’t allow them to,” Dixon said. “They do have their new machine in. They’re doing their field test (this) week and we will be the first road that is actually paved with the county’s new machine.”
The entire project is expected to last eight weeks. Work begins at the Birmingham city limits and stretches to the bridge past Cavern Road in Clay.
This sign is at the corner of Clay-Palmerdale Road and Old Springville Road in Clay.
file photo by Gary Lloyd
“I’m sure there will be lane closures, but it will have to be done by flagmen,” Dixon said. “There are no advertised detours. We’ll know more daily as the project progresses.”
Dixon said in January that repaving will be done on sections of Old Springville Road that total almost nine miles, from the southern city limits to the Jefferson County line and including areas that are considered city of Birmingham.
The city of Clay had been awarded money as part of the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program for the resurfacing of Old Springville Road. The city’s match for the project was set at $184,000 while ATRIP was to cover $736,000 for a total of $920,000 for the resurfacing project.
Dixon said that when engineering was done, the project came in with an estimate of $1.8 million and $300,000 just for engineering. He said it would have required buying right-of-way, putting in guardrails and covering culverts to bring the project to federal standards. Resurfacing became a $2 million job, and the city doesn’t have the 20 percent match, Dixon said.
“We’re basically foregoing the ATRIP money,” Dixon said.
Five projects in Trussville were on the original ATRIP funding list. They included resurfacing Queenstown Road from Roper Road to Second Street, resurfacing Camp Coleman Road from U.S. Highway 11 to Windsong Drive, traffic signalization on Chalkville Mountain Road from Norrell Drive to Tyler Loop Road, interchange lighting on Interstate 59 at Deerfoot Parkway, and turn lanes on Trussville-Clay Road and signalization at Husky Parkway.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
