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Council approves agreement with ALDOT for Veterans Parkway improvements
Summary
Opelika council approved a state agreement to design and build improvements on Veterans Parkway from Birmingham Highway near the planned Publix to Pepperell Parkway; the project is federally funded via the MPO, and the city will pay 20% of the cost.
The Opelika City Council approved a resolution May 6 authorizing an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to design and construct improvements to Veterans Parkway from Birmingham Highway to Pepperell Parkway.
A city presenter described the project in the council work session and said it is a federally funded project routed through the metropolitan planning organization (MPO). The planned improvements include resurfacing the roadway, adding a center turn lane and constructing a multi-use path. The presenter said the city will follow ALDOT procedures and pay 20% of project costs while the state (via federal MPO funds) will cover the remainder.
Council discussion clarified the three-phase schedule the presenter outlined: (1) sign the agreement with ALDOT, (2) preliminary engineering and design to ALDOT standards, and (3) construction through ALDOT bid and award procedures. The presenter gave a tentative schedule that places construction in fiscal year 2026, saying, “Right now, it is only 2025 fiscal year for construction, but I don't see that happening… I would foresee it being in '26, possibly, February, March next year.”
The council approved the resolution (Resolution No. 10) authorizing the agreement. The presenter said additional ALDOT-related resolutions will return to the council as the project advances.
Why it matters: The corridor has seen development pressure; a center turn lane and a multi-use path aim to address traffic flow and active-transportation connections. The city’s 20% share will be a local cost to support an ALDOT-managed federal project.
