Erica Techo
County Engineer Randy Cole updates the commission on road projects during the March 26, 2018 Shelby County Commission meeting.
The Shelby County Highway Department has made plans for this year’s big paving project.
During the March 26 Shelby County Commission meeting, County Engineer Randy Cole provided commissioners with a packet detailing which roads will be part of the $5.4 million paving project to take place this fiscal year. Wiregrass Construction Company’s bid for the project came in around $5.471 million, Cole said, and will formally come before the commission at its next meeting.
“We’re doing a bigger project this year, so we’re very pleased with that,” Cole said, noting that last year’s paving project was between $2.5 million and $2.8 million.
About 35 projects were listed in the packet, including Shelby County 43 north of U.S. 280 and between U.S. 280 and Shelby County 280; Shelby County 11 in front of Chelsea High School; Shelby County 41 just north of the maintenance entrance to Shoal Creek; projects in Brook Highland and several others.
The list was drawn up by highway department staff, Cole said, based on which roads need help and repaving.
“We try to get the best bang for the buck. We have got a lot of resurfacing needs, and staff gets together and works really hard to determine which are in the worst shape so we get the biggest bang for our buck,” Cole said.
County Manager Alex Dudchock said the county was able to dedicate more funds toward paving this year from its capital improvement funds. He credited that ability to budget managing.
The extra funds, Cole said, will also allow the county to work on projects such as a turn lane at Shelby 11 and Shelby 280 and the realignment of the intersection in front of Chelsea City Hall.
In addition to those projects, Cole gave updates on two other projects — Cahaba Beach Road and the Cahaba River Bridge at Caldwell Mill Road.
The Cahaba Beach Road project is still in the environmental investigation stage, Cole said, which means it is being looked at for potential environmental impacts. The project on Caldwell Mill Road, which is a joint venture with Jefferson County, he said, is nowhere near being put to bid.
Also at the meeting, the commission:
- Approved bills, requisitions and check register.
- Issued a proclamation endorsing April as Fair Housing Month.
- Heard from Laurie Young, a resident of the Vandiver/ Sterrett area. Young said she was concerned about recent crimes and thefts in her area, and said she had learned there was only one officer patrolling a roughly 100-mile area. She asked that the commission take into consideration the residents of her area and help fund an additional officer to patrol.
- Heard an updated from Dudchock, who said the county had received in its possession a 2004 Ford Mustang to be used in its distracted driving display, which shows the dangers of distracted driving. The display is taken around to Shelby County Schools, and the Mustang was the car of Thompson High School senior Camryn “Cici” Callaway. Callaway died after she hit the back of a tractor trailer on Feb. 22 after texting and driving. Callway’s mother, Michelle Lunsford, donated the car to be used in the display, Dudchock said.
