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Pelham says $52 million FRA grade‑crossing elimination grant moves project into design and environmental review
Summary
City managers told the council that a Federal Railroad Administration grant — described in the meeting as $52,000,000 and the largest award of its type in the country — is now obligated, allowing design and environmental review to begin; Pelham officials warned the project will require multi‑agency coordination and up to five years of staff attention.
Pelham city officials told the City Council that a Federal Railroad Administration grade‑crossing elimination grant awarded to the city will move into environmental assessment and design work, with construction to follow.
City Manager (speaker 5) said the city applied for the project in 2022 and was notified in 2023 that it had been selected. "This was the largest project awarded in the country for this type of project back in '22 — Dollars 52,000,000 worth of work," the City Manager said, and added that the grant funds have been obligated, which allows the city to begin spending and to start the environmental reviews and design work.
The City Manager said the project must coordinate with multiple agencies and partners, including Shelby County, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT), CSX and consultant AECOM, and warned that steps such as right‑of‑way acquisition and utility relocation are likely to take substantial time. A completion constraint was stated in the meeting as "04:30 31"; the official said design and environmental assessment work will occupy roughly the next three years before construction activity begins.
Assistant project lead Andre Bittus (speaker 6) told the council the work will remove two railroad tracks on Highway 52 near Lee Street and that the project limits extend along Highway 52 from the interstate to an area near Helena. "We're gonna eliminate 2 railroad tracks on Highway 52 on Lee Street," he said, and described anticipated benefits for traffic, access management and public‑safety response times.
The City Manager and staff framed the award as a multi‑year priority for Pelham and said the city will post a dedicated project page online and provide quarterly updates to the council. Officials emphasized the project will proceed through federally required environmental and design phases and noted typical federal grant contingencies such as protected species or other environmental issues can delay schedules.
What happens next: city staff said they will begin environmental assessment and design, pursue right‑of‑way and utility coordination with partner agencies, and report to the council on a quarterly schedule.
Sources: statements by the City Manager (speaker 5) and project lead Andre Bittus (speaker 6) during the council meeting. The project and the dollar amount were described on council record; the meeting transcript records the completion constraint as "04:30 31," which the council did not further clarify during the meeting.
