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Commissioners push Alabama Power for safer plan after proposal would close Sy Road repeatedly
Summary
St. Clair County commissioners told Alabama Power to reconsider plans to set dozens of 100‑ft poles along Sy Road after staff said the work could shut the road for six hours at a time on as many as 21 days, raising safety and emergency‑access concerns.
Chair opened the work session and flagged a major public‑works concern: Alabama Power’s Sy Road transmission project would place dozens of very large poles and require extensive crane work that could force repeated multi‑hour full closures of the county roadway. Commissioners said the worst‑case plan — repeated six‑hour full closures to set poles — risks interrupting emergency access, would worsen traffic and could damage county pavement.
Commissioners and county engineering staff described how the project, as shown to the county, includes 40‑plus pole sites and would require large cranes with 30‑foot‑plus outriggers. Staff said roughly 21 of those installations would require use of the county right‑of‑way and that some sites as shown would block the road for extended periods while crews set foundations and place poles. County engineers said Alabama Power has proposed a daily working window but that the county has not received a feasible detour or a plan that would keep at least a lane open.
The county asked Alabama Power engineers to explore alternatives that would protect emergency access and the road surface: using weekend or night work where possible, creating temporary crane pads on private easements rather than the roadway, moving a handful of poles slightly off the right‑of‑way, or employing aerial options. Commissioners also discussed asking the utility to sign an indemnity agreement that would make the company financially responsible for any emergency delays attributed to the planned closures and for pavement repairs caused by heavy crane operations.
Chair and other commissioners asked staff to schedule an engineering‑level follow‑up with Alabama Power and to include district commissioners in those discussions. Staff said they would ask for concrete alternatives and a detour plan that minimizes travel time for local residents; they also recommended involving county emergency responders to confirm evacuation and emergency response plans while work is under way.
The commission did not vote on a formal motion at the work session; members directed staff to pursue a negotiated plan with Alabama Power that preserves at least one open lane where feasible and protects public safety and county infrastructure.
