Tim James Inc.
Coosa River Express
Coosa River Express
A public involvement concerning the proposed Coosa River Express will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Grande Hall at 105 West College Street in Columbiana to allow people in the community to ask questions and learn more about the project.
The project is intended to connect eastern Shelby County at U.S. 280 in Sylacauga to western Talladega County at I-65 in Calera. 20 miles of public roadways would be in Shelby County and 13 in Talladega County. The timeline of the project would be 12 to 18 months for the permitting process and another 12 months for construction.
While developer Tim James Sr. can’t be in attendance tonight’s meeting, his son and sons-in-law will be there to represent Tim James Inc, along with Volkert Inc. and Skipper Consulting Inc. engineering firms and answer questions.
There will be multiple stations where attendees can look at maps and ask questions. Officials in Talladega County have already given their unanimous approval for the bridge to be built, but it still has to be approved by the Shelby County Commission before the deal can go through, since the project involves both counties. The developer will be responsible for 100% of the cost and it will require no taxpayer dollars from either county.
Coosa River Express
Coosa River Express
280 Living had a Q&A with Tim James Sr. Tuesday afternoon before the meeting:
Q. Should the local governments consider building this themselves and avoid the toll?
A. That’s up to each county. This has been talked about for decades and has never been done.
Q. What do you see as the biggest benefits of the bridge?
A. It will open up an entire area that really needs a shot in the arm. It is a huge benefit to both Shelby and Talladega counties and will create an economic stimulus by building this project through an area that needs it. I think it’s an economic driver that will impact south Shelby County for generations. This part of south Shelby County is not an affluent area and has upwards of 60% free lunch. People don't know that. Is this project a panacea? Probably not, but it’s certainly something that will have a positive impact. Also, we are not only going to build it, but take existing roads in the county and widen them from 20 feet to 28 feet with two 12-foot wide running running lanes and 8-foot shoulders, making it a much safer highway and reduce the chances of accidents by 50%, making it a much safer route.
Q. What is the cost of the project and how much will it cost commuters to cross the bridge?
A. The cost is $40 million and two-thirds of the money being spent is on existing county roads. We will only own the bridge. The estimated toll is $2 per car.
Q. How will the counties benefit monetarily from the bridge?
A. Both counties will receive the equivalent of dividends from any distributions in the future and forever. As the project grows and starts spinning off income, distribution to each county would be 5%. That’s a very nice stream of income over the long haul that would last indefinitely. Over the first 15 years, the estimate is around $2 million to $3 million for each county.
Q. What about those who are against the project?
A. I understand people who are going to take a different view. They certainly have that right. The bigger question is what is in the best interest of Shelby County? This project will be an economic driver connecting 65 to 280. Everybody will give it a try for $2. If they like it, they will keep using it, if they think it’s not worth it, they will keep doing what they were doing before. It’s very important to distinguish that this as an alternate route to free routes that already exist. I’m hard pressed to find anybody throughout Shelby County against this project so long as they are not paying for it. While there are some folks near the project who are against it, I respect them and hear them, but I think overall this will benefit the people of Shelby County far greater than not doing it. The project benefits outweigh any problems.
Q. Who will pay for the maintenance of the road?
A. When we redo the existing roads and build new roads have to be resurfaced in 7 to 10 years. We are going to put up as a proposal, $3 million in escrow at closing to pay for the first cycle of the project. That means taxpayers will not pay for resurfacing for 15 to 20 years in the future.
Q. This is in fact a for-profit business venture?
A. This project is no different than a shopping center in a capitalist view, except this is a road project. Every penny is private funds and is taxable. We pay our taxes, property tax, income tax, payroll tax, everything. Private toll roads are as old as the country. It's about saving time and as a safety factor, there will be many benefits of this project that will transcend long after I’m gone.
Q. What are the next steps for the project after tonight’s meeting?
A. We are working on a full economic impact study that is being done by Auburn University. The Shelby County Commission will be able to really have a third party independent assessment of the economic impact. We should have that in by the end of March. Looking back on the Foley Beach Express, I think it’s the most important single event in South Baldwin County and I think this will be the most important single event in South Shelby County if we are successful in building it.
For more information on the project and a list of FAQs, visit timjamesinc.com/projects or the Shelby County Engineer’s page at shelbyal.com/DocumentCenter/Index/318.