State to pave Alabama 20 near Ingalls this summer

Apr. 17—A portion of Alabama 20/Wilson Street near Ingalls Harbor Pavilion will soon be repaved while the bids on light replacements for Hudson Memorial bridges and U.S. 31 were more than $1 million over budget, officials said.

The Decatur-area Metropolitan Planning Organization also approved improvements to Lawrence County 222 for First Solar, a $1.1 billion photovoltaic solar module manufacturing facility planned for Trinity.

MPO is a group consisting of local mayors, councilmen and Alabama Department of Transportation officials that manages federal, state and local funding for road and bridge projects.

The group voted at last week's meeting to pave the 1.2-mile stretch of Alabama 20, between 12th Avenue Northwest, adjacent to Decatur City Cemetery, and the railroad overpass near Old State Bank.

"It's really bumpy," Mayor Tab Bowling said. "They've had to do a lot of minor repairs through the years but, in a way, that's made it rougher. I'm just really pleased they're able to pave it now."

City Director of Development Dane Shaw said paving projects like this "are always a big plus for the city" despite the hassle for motorists.

"It really does make a difference for traffic," Shaw said. "Church Street where they paved near Bunge really looks good."

MPO Director Dewayne Hellums said the estimated cost is $1.84 million, with $1.47 million coming from federal funding and the state supplying a $368,600 match.

Rod Ellis, ALDOT North Region preconstruction engineer, said they plan to send out the bid notice on the Alabama 20 paving project in May with the work starting toward the end of the summer or early fall.

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Bridge lighting

Hellums said bids for the U.S. 31 lighting project came in dramatically over the $837,140 that the city had in the budget.

The city got $477,189 in federal funds for the project. State officials have refused to contribute to the project, so the city would have likely had to pay the remaining $359,140 even if bids had come in at the budgeted amount.

Shaw said the bids "were close to $1 million over (the budgeted amount). We'll see how it goes on negotiations (with the low bidder) and go from there.

"We might have to send out bids again if the price doesn't come down. It's just a really high price."

Bowling said the bids were "way over" what they should have been.

"It won't delay it long because we'll just go back to bid," Bowling said. "That will take us about a month. Hopefully, they can begin this summer."

Curtis Vincent, ALDOT North Region engineer, said the city will have to decide whether to award the contract. He suggested some additional federal overrun money may be available.

Hellums said the city can ask the MPO for additional funds if necessary.

"We may have some federal funds to add to that, but we need a final cost on what that number will be," Hellums said. — First Solar road

North Alabama is preparing for the $1.1 billion First Solar plant that's under construction in Lawrence County and scheduled to go online this year.

The MPO approved widening Lawrence County 222 from Lawrence County 550 to Cooperage Way Road and widening Cooperage Way from 222 for a half mile to the north. The addition of right- and left-turn lanes will allow for plant access.

The state will pay for the $1.66 million project with no local match, Hellums said.

In an update on area road projects, Ellis said:

—The contractor is working mainly underneath the Interstate 65 bridge on a rehab project. They're working on structural repairs with plans to start the sandblasting and painting in May.

They've been able to avoid daytime work so far, but there will be times when daytime deck repairs will be necessary. This will reduce traffic to one lane for multiple days when it occurs, he said.

They plan to shift traffic during the painting. The bridges will remain two lanes each with a reduced width, and this will slow down traffic.

—Plans for the Vaughn Bridge Road-U.S. 31 intersection improvements in Hartselle are complete with one tract of right of way left to obtain. Ellis is hoping they will let bids later this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.

—The Morgan County Commission is still obtaining rights of way on its plan to replace a culvert over Bakers Creek so the project will likely by pushed to late fiscal 2025.

—The planning for the improvements of the Alabama 36 intersection with Lando Cain Road is about 30% complete, so that project is also likely for fiscal 2025.

—Hartselle is finishing up improvements to U.S. 31 South from Curry to Sparkman streets. He expects this project will be substantially complete soon.

Hartselle received $480,619 from the Alabama Transportation Improvement and Rehabilitation Program II grant program created by the Rebuild Alabama Act for this project.

—Trinity received $1.22 million in ATRIP II funding for an upgrade of the Alabama 24 intersection with South Greenway Drive and West Morgan Road. He said this project is about 30% through the planning stage.

—Decatur is waiting on foundation reports on the new traffic light poles for the state to issue the final permit on the Sixth Avenue streetscape project. This is the last item before the city can seek construction bids.

—The state is about 65% complete on designing a project that includes installing message boards, cameras and fiberoptic lines on I-65 from Priceville to north of Athens. They expect to begin seeking bids on the project by the end of this fiscal year.

—Plans are about 85% complete on the U.S. 31 railroad bridge replacement near Calhoun Community College. They have to acquire about five tracts of right of way, including one from Norfolk Railroad. AT&T informed the state that it may take up to a year to move its utilities, especially its fiber.

The railroad bridge project likely won't bid until sometime next year, and the I-65 bridge rehab could also affect the project's timing.

—The I-65 bridge placements at Lacon over CSX Railroad and over Flint Creek are 30% complete. The state is waiting on CSX to tell them what they will require of ALDOT as they work on their final design. They also need a CSX easement so they will likely seek bids next year.

Other MPO business:

—Approved the final engineering cost of resurfacing I-65, from Alabama 36 to Interstate 565, of $250,000, with $225,000, or 80% of the cost, coming from federal funds, and 20%, or $25,000, from the state.

—Approved paving of Alabama 24 from Morgan County 317 to the Morgan-Lawrence county line for $4.6 million, with $3.67 million in federal funding and $917,866 in state funding.

—Approved $1 million for phase 1 in adding sidewalks and a multi-use path along Bethel Street Northeast, from Morrow Street to Bethel Road Northeast, in Hartselle. The city will match $800,000 in federal funds with a $200,000 local match for the project.

—Approved paving Bethel Road, from Lynwood Circle to Kimberly Street, Cave Springs Road from Bethel Road to Sunset Acres Avenue, and Skidmore Road from Alabama 67 to Cave Springs Road.

Hellums said the engineering cost on the Bethel Road project is $53,781, with $43,025 in federal money and $10,756 from the town of Priceville. He said the construction cost is $1.37 million, with $1.09 million in federal funds and $273,656 from Priceville.

Rogers Group won the contract in February. The state issued a notice to proceed, but they decided to wait until school is out to begin the project, Ellis said.

— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432