BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
At 9 a.m. this morning the long-awaited opening of Millbrook’s Taco Bell will begin, with a grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration. Drive-thru service will be available until midnight.
Millbrook Police will be helping to keep traffic moving, but Chief P.K. Johnson urges motorists to use extreme caution in that area.
Officials with the Alabama Department of Transportation are expected to be on site tomorrow morning to monitor traffic flow. Millbrook City officials have been in contact with ALDOT for almost two years in an attempt to obtain traffic signalization in that area. Aside from the multiple restaurants in that area, it will also be the main entrance for a large development planned on more than 80 acres along I-65 behind Circle K (former Entec.)
“We hope that once the officials see the real need, we can get this project going,” Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley said. “That area is going to see a lot more development in the very near future, and it is imperative that we make that intersection as safe as possible as quickly as possible. Discussions have been going on concerning this for some time.”
Popeye’s is scheduled to break grown in the coming weeks as well next to Taco Bell.
Hwy. 14 does not fall under the control of the city, and all traffic lights and/or improvements must be approved by ALDOT.
New restaurants have been opening recently in Millbrook, and more are on tap.
Smokehouse Pit Barbecue reopened on Main Street downtown recently under new ownership. “The Rex” Food Truck Park is set to open near the intersection of Main Street and Edgewood Road, also downtown. Waffle House on Hwy. 14 is also up and running.
Hibachi Grill, located in the former Huddle House on Main Street, has been open for several weeks and is doing a brisk business. Neighborhood Grille has announced they will be locating in the former China Buffet restaurant in the Food Outlet parking lot.
Next to Zaxby’s in front of Walmart, Eliano’s Coffee Shop has started the construction process. And we were contacted yesterday by an entrepreneur that will soon be announcing a new food business as well. We will have more on that after we interview the new owners.
