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Council authorizes grant application, engineers propose Gateway Drive resurfacing with bike/ped facilities
Summary
Engineering staff proposed resurfacing Gateway Drive with lane reconfiguration and a multi-use path; council authorized submittal of a Rebuild Alabama grant application with a maximum award of $250,000.
City engineering staff presented a resurfacing and multimodal improvement plan for Gateway Drive from Society Hill Road to Marvin Parkway and the council authorized submission of a state grant application to support the work.
Scott Parker of the engineering department said the roadway’s pavement condition has deteriorated as subdivisions and traffic have increased. The proposed project would resurface the asphalt, reconfigure traffic lanes to provide a three-lane cross section with a two-way center-left-turn lane, and add an 8- to 10-foot multi-use paved path and sidewalks where needed to improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity. Parker said the design and survey work would be done in-house to reduce costs and that the city would pursue multiple funding sources.
Parker told the council staff was preparing an application to the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Rebuild Alabama grant program, which staff said can provide up to $250,000 for the project. Parker told council the grant requires no local match; any grant would cover only a portion of estimated construction costs. He said he planned to submit the application before the Friday deadline and asked the council to authorize the submittal; the council approved the resolution authorizing the application.
Nut graf: The proposed Gateway Drive work combines pavement preservation, a safer turning-lane configuration and new pedestrian/bicycle facilities; staff will submit a state grant application that could pay a small share of construction costs and will return with funding and design details if the grant is awarded.
Council direction and next steps: staff will finalize and file the ALDOT Rebuild Alabama application, continue design and in-house surveying, and identify budget lines for project funding if the grant is awarded. The application deadline was presented as imminent in the meeting.
Ending: If the grant is awarded, the city will need to allocate remaining construction funding and finalize design details, including exact sidewalk and path locations and connectivity to Southview School and nearby neighborhoods.
