Second Avenue to be repaved after failing asphalt test

Benjamin Bullard, The Cullman Times, Ala.
·3 min read

Oct. 4—Even though it's only been a month since the smooth asphalt surface along Second Avenue NE opened to greet the area's busy school traffic crowd, the street will soon have to shut down once more as construction crews head back to the site to redo their final step.

At a recent meeting of the Cullman City Council, mayor Woody Jacobs informed the council that post-construction testing of the asphalt surface had yielded results showing the street's top layer had failed to meet specifications. That means contractors will be called back to mill the new surface and replace it with a fresh asphalt layer.

The city won't be on the hook for any additional cost associated with the do-over, which will replace only the top asphalt surface while leaving undisturbed the road bed beneath. Second Avenue recently received the new road bed along with the final asphalt layer along a four-block span stretching from Arnold Street near Depot Park to the street's intersection near Eighth Street NE near Cullman Middle School.

The city originally had prioritized completing the summer project in time for the Aug. 10 start of fall classes, and came within days of meeting that window. Jacobs noted that once again shutting down Second Avenue — which serves as a thoroughfare for traffic to nearby schools including Cullman Middle School, Cullman High School, and Cullman Primary School — will pose an unplanned inconvenience to drivers.

"It will affect school traffic," said Jacobs, noting that the city will attempt to manage the resurfacing schedule to target a date that minimizes its impact on motorists. "It will be fairly soon; we're still working out the logistics. I hate it; I know it's a horrendous inconvenience. So if you're driving in that area and you come across it, you can say that it's the mayor's fault."

In other business at its Sept. 30 regular meeting, the council:

* Approved a restaurant retail liquor alcohol license for Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant, which previously had received a favorable recommendation from the city's alcohol review committee. The regional Tennessee-based chain will open its first Alabama location in Cullman at at 6076 Alabama Highway 157.

* Approved a request from Cotton Creek Warehouse, located at 417 Third Avenue SW, for an alcohol license applicable to "special events more than 30 days." The request previously had received a favorable recommendation from the city's alcohol review committee.

* Approved a special event request from Emily Trahan of St. Paul's Lutheran Church for a Reformation Fun Run and 5k to be held on Oct. 29.

* Approved a special event request from Lynsey Todd to close First Avenue NE on multiple dates in November and December, on behalf of Warehouse District merchants in the area to conduct Christmas-themed street events in the Warehouse District.

* Approved a special event request from Adam Clark of the Cullman Police Department to hold the department's annual Trunk or Treat event beginning at 5 p.m. on Oct. 26.

* Approved a special event request from Karen Speegle of Seventh Street Baptist Church to hold an annual Fall Fest at the church on Oct. 30.

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.