By Terry Schrimscher, For The Tribune
SPRINGVILLE — The Springville City Council met for the first regular meeting of March on Monday night, March 7. Several items were introduced to the agenda during the pre-meeting work session.
One item discussed in the work session involved road construction between I-459 in Trussville and exit 148 in Argo. Plans for the road expansion are listed on the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) website. In addition, the City of Trussville will host a public meeting at the civic center in Trussville on March 24.
According to the plans, which are part of Governor Kay Ivey’s Rebuild Alabama Act, Interstate I-59 between the Chalkville Mountain Road exit and I-459 will be expanded to six lanes. The work will also include resurfacing I-59 from the Chalkville Mountain exit, exit 141, all the way to St. Clair County, reducing several miles of the interstate to one lane for six months or longer.
The work will also include upgrading the ramps servicing Chalkville Mountain Road, Deerfoot Parkway, and Argo. ALDOT also plans to improve US Hwy 11 between Trussville and Springville this year.
“The Argo exit, the Deerfoot exit, and the Chalkville Mountain Road exit are all going to be closed for a while, and it’s going to be a mess,” Mayor Dave Thomas said.
Councilmember David Vinson said he had discussed concerns about traffic flow with Argo Mayor Betty Bradley. With the temporary closures, traffic is expected to increase from the open exits in Springville along Hwy 11 to and from Argo and Margaret.
“This is [going to] be a major impact on the city of Argo. We have 10,000 to 12,000 cars on Argo Margaret Road coming out of Margaret trying to get to the interstate during peak times in the morning and afternoon,” Bradley said. “That is not counting the traffic that’s coming out of Springville and the Carrington and Stockton area using that exit. Then if a train comes during those times, we are going to have major issues.”
Bradley said she hopes the work on Hwy 11 will be completed before the interstate work begins. She expressed concern for residents of neighboring city Margaret who must go through Argo, Springville, or Moody to reach interstates.
“We need to work with our neighbors to try to find solutions to help each other. Even if people go to Springville to get on, they are going to have to be in one-lane traffic all the way to Huffman,” Bradley said.
Vinson said he expects to learn a lot more about the construction plans and how it will impact traffic in Springville at the March 24 meeting.
In other business, the Council held a public hearing for alcohol permits for El Patron and Smoke House restaurants. The Council approved the transfer of the license from the former Kiwi’s Mexican restaurant to El Patron. The Council also approved the license for the Smoke House restaurant.
The Council also approved a contract with Alabama Power to install six new lights around the parking areas for the ballparks on Camp Road.
City Attorney James Hill presented a contract with Municipal Consultants to do engineering work required to produce a Springville branded bottled water. In November, the Council approved an agreement with Springville Beverages LLC to bottle and sell a retail brand of water from springs within the city limits.
The five-year agreement would sell up to 50,000 gallons of water per day to the bottlers who would market the water in retail outlets. The Council approved the contract with Municipal Consultants, which will be paid by the beverage company.
The Council also approved an automatic aid agreement with the city of Odenville, which allows fire departments from the two cities to assist each other in fighting structure fires. The Council also agreed to place Verizon tracking devices in city police vehicles which would provide additional protection for city employees and property as well as assist in faster reaction time when needed.