By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — Land is being cleared in preparation for the construction of a new entrance to Trussville Springs, a community on U.S. Highway 11 in Trussville.
The new entrance will be located on U.S. Highway 11 approximately halfway between Mohawk Drive and Maplewood Drive.
Trussville Springs spokesman Barry Stalnaker said the highway will be widened to accommodate turn lanes. He said several commercial building pads will be constructed, as will a new street to connect U.S. Highway 11 to Spring Street.
Stalnaker said the commercial areas of Trussville Springs will eventually be home to shops, restaurants and offices.
“We anticipate that the areas closest to the new entrance will be retail establishments,” he said.
Specific shops, restaurants and offices are not yet known.
Construction will require the relocation of several major utility lines and will include the installation of warning lights and gates at a new grade level crossing on the Norfolk Southern rail line, Stalnaker said. Paving operations will be coordinated to immediately follow the planned Alabama Department of Transportation repaving project for the existing highway lanes.
Completion of the new entrance is expected to take place by the end of summer, but that is “very tentative” because of complexities and the number of entities involved, Stalnaker said.
Trussville City Clerk Lynn Porter said the clearing on the north side of U.S. Highway 11 is a “borrow pit,” a place that can have dirt removed to be used where it’s needed on the other side of the highway.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.