BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
At Tuesday night’s Millbrook City Council meeting, Elmore County Chief Operation’s Officer Richie Beyer spoke about multiple projects in the city’s area, including Coosada.
These are multiple joint projects between ALDOT, Millbrook, Coosada and the Elmore County Commission.
The County applied for a grant with cooperation from area cities to ALDOT last year and were awarded $1.4 million for improvements to three intersections on state routes, and a modification for intersection study that will help with the Field at 17 Springs project. Site work has already started for the first phase of the 17 Springs project. (We will have a detailed article on that in a separate article.)
“The intersection modification study is complete from ALDOT, so that gives us some freedom on Hwy. 14 between Kinsley and Oak Tree Road so we can work on 17 Springs. This was first let (for bids) in December and includes the Cobbs Ford Road/Main Street intersection for dedicated left turn lanes. This was actually brought up by (Mayor Al Kelley) during one of our county infrastructure meetings that this is an area that your Chief of Police and his officers work pretty frequently (due to accidents) because of the lack of traffic control with no dedicated turn lanes. So, this one has been let (out for bid) and the Commission has approved an agreement with ALDOT to move on with construction for that. The timeframe for that is around March when the work begins.”
Beyer and Millbrook City Engineer Stuart Peters will be coordinating traffic control in that area with ALDOT and the Millbrook Police Department once work begins. Hopefully those improvements will eliminate the issues that are currently often seen with frequent, sometimes serious, accidents with injury.
“Anytime you go down that way…just normal times…anybody trying to get to the Alabama Toll Bridge, anyone trying to make that turn is taking their life in their hands,” Beyer said.
Coosada Parkway and Alabama Hwy 14. This location is near where the widening of Hwy. 14 stops.
“A lot of your residents travel that way every day. It is a very busy intersection with some people actually avoiding the more developed areas. That will be let this month,” Beyer said.
Camp Grandview Road: “We have been working with the city, Stuart and your Public Works, Utilities getting that one ready,” Beyer said. “We put a notice out last week that starting work on drainage improvements and widening work. “
That will take place over the next month. It is slated to let for bids in March with Old Prattville Road. Bike lanes will also be added to Camp Grandview Road, Beyer said.
“What we are trying to do (with Old Prattville Road) is it was originally set up as a preservation project. We are trying to keep that road in good shape.”
There is a future plan for bike lanes on Old Prattville Road as well. But that will come after other work is completed.
Intersection Project at Ingram Road and Hwy. 14 – “This is probably your Mayor’s favorite one,” Beyer said. Signals and turn lanes will be added. ALDOT is finalizing the environmental and right of ways on that. It is slated for a June letting of bids. “So, by the end of the summer we should have construction going on in that area,” Beyer said.
Ingram Road Widening Project: Road will be brought up to same standards as Deatsville Highway. With the widening project, cyclists and runners will be given more area and safety from traffic.
“These dates are not set in stone…but as a general rule that is what you will see,” Beyer said.
