Birmingham Council opposes Cahaba Beach Road project

The Birmingham City Council has joined the Cahaba River Society, Cahaba Riverkeeper and the Southern Environmental Law Center in opposing a project to build a new road connecting Cahaba Beach Road and Sicard Hollow Road over the Little Cahaba River.

City Councilor Darrell O'Quinn introduced the resolution to oppose the project at the Nov. 20 Council meeting, where it was approved. He said the potential environmental impact and lack of benefits for the city were the driving forces behind the decision.

The project, which ALDOT has been working on since 2015, would include a two-lane, controlled access road and bridge over the river, based on designs presented at the most recent public presentation in August. It is estimated to cost $12-15 million.

The proposed path for the road is through largely undeveloped, wooded areas, as well as over a river that is one part of the area's water source. The Cahaba River Society and Southern Environmental Law Center have been opposed to the Cahaba Beach Road reconnection project from the start, citing concerns about pollutants and runoff impacting the river and road construction disturbing the surrounding ecosystem.

“Rather than putting public lands and drinking water at risk, we ask ALDOT to study small-scale, less costly improvements to ease traffic that don’t require opening our resources to harm with a project of this magnitude,” Cahaba River Society Executive Director Beth Stewart said in a press release.

O'Quinn said the involvement of those two organizations was integral to the City Council's study of the project and decision to pass the resolution on Tuesday.

ALDOT has previously estimated about 10,000 cars would travel the road daily, but it likely would not make a major impact on traffic congestion on U.S. 280. This also factored into the Birmingham Council's decision, O'Quinn said.

"I think in the end, when we weighed any potential benefit against the risk to our water source and to the natural environment in the area where the proposed road was going to be placed, the scales tipped heavily to mostly negative impacts,” he said.

“There wasn’t any economic development argument for the city of Birmingham,” O'Quinn added.

O'Quinn said he hopes the Birmingham Water Works Board will make a similar statement in opposition to the project.

Shelby County engineer Randy Cole said in an emailed statement that he considers the Birmingham Council's action as "disingenuous" and premature, since studies about environmental impacts are still underway and a route has not been chosen.

"I’m disappointed that the city took this action prior to the completion of the study and the selection of a preferred alternate," Cole said.

Cole noted the benefits for access the road would offer for some residents, as well as a realignment of Grants Mill Road being considered.

"Birmingham asked Shelby County and other local governments to help fund the study with a $60,000 contribution. Shelby County was planning to participate before the City Council resolution dealt a setback to intergovernmental cooperation," Cole said via email.

ALDOT spokesperson Linda Crockett said the "Cahaba Beach Road Project is still in the very preliminary stages" and final decisions have not been made.