Photo by Erin Nelson.
New intersection on 280
The completed intersection on U.S. 280 across from Walmart and Bryant Bank, seen from Cash World Pawn & Jewelry on Dec. 16. The construction project began back in the spring of 2017.
Nearly two years after the project began, road construction at the traffic light at the Walmart intersection on U.S. 280 is finally complete.
The light began functioning Dec. 13 and allows traffic from the access road to turn left and right onto U.S. 280.
The state started the project by closing off the access road in the spring of 2017. The project, which was intended to relieve traffic pressure from the U.S. 280/Alabama 119 intersection, was supposed to be completed in a three-month timeframe but wound up taking over two years.
During the process, one of the affected businesses was Cash World Pawn & Jewelry, which is located on the access road.
Employee Karen Upchurch said the original contractor went bankrupt after the project began, leaving it abandoned.
Instead of being able to cut up the access road to the store, customers had to go out of their way to get to the store, or even thought it was no longer open.
“Our business took a financial hit, and people didn’t know we were even still open,” Upchurch said. “We suffered for the state’s mistakes.”
The remaining work that had to be completed included pouring the asphalt and curbs. The Alabama Department of Transportation had hoped to have the project finished by Thanksgiving, but was completed and operational by Dec. 13.
Shelby County Commissioner Rick Shepherd explained the company that won the initial bid went bankrupt and ALDOT had to find someone else to complete the work, which is what caused a significant delay.
Shepherd, a Greystone resident, drove through the intersection daily and wished he could have done something to help. However, because the project was being handled by ALDOT and not Shelby County, all he could do was make calls to ALDOT about the progress.
“I talked to people at the pawn shop and asked what I could do to help,” Shepherd said. “I wanted to help, but my hands were tied.”
Attempts to reach the ALDOT representative before this story went to print were unsuccessful.
