From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
New businesses and buildings are not the only new things coming to downtown Trussville this year.
With the new construction comes plans for improved traffic flow, added traffic lights, more sidewalks and parking lots, nice streetscaping and more as part of the project that will transform downtown.
Mayor Buddy Choat and other city leaders and planners will unveil details about how visitors will better navigate a redeveloped downtown during the “Let’s Talk Trussville” Town Hall Panel on March 6 at Trussville Civic Center.
The panel, which is presented by Alabama Power and hosted by the Trussville Tribune, will begin at 6 p.m., however, officials will be available at 5:30 p.m. to talk one-on-one with residents and share renderings of the development.
When discussion about redevelopment downtown began to take shape, the city enlisted help from traffic planners to look at how to improve infrastructure, especially traffic flow that was already challenging along Highway 11 through downtown, Choat said.
One of the biggest improvements will be a redesign of the intersection of Main Street and Chalkville Mountain Road, which is a frequently congested spot, he said. Plans also include adding connector streets to the main drags to divert traffic and alleviate that congestion.
“We have looked at many ways to make it a lot easier to navigate,” Choat said.
The city is in talks with the Alabama Department of Transportation to add two traffic lights on Highway 11 that would operate on a staggered schedule to control flow.
The city also wants to use the changes to improve walkability downtown, he said. Crosswalks will be added or expanded throughout the area along with six- to eight-foot wide sidewalks.
And downtown streets will get a facelift, with brick pavers, underground utilities, streetscaping and landscaping, Choat said.
The city has estimated infrastructure construction to begin in the summer. Choat said a more detailed timeline will be unveiled at the Town Hall Panel.