St. Clair County Withholds Permit for Alabama Power Pole Work after Road-closure and Damage Concerns

County commissioners voted to withhold a permit for Alabama Power’s planned pole installation on Sandy Road after engineers warned the company’s current plan would require repeated full closures and risk damage to a recently resurfaced county road.

County Engineer Dan Dawkey told the commission the utility’s current plan would place roughly 21–24 poles and, in the current layout, “they're going to have to close the road down while they're doing this,” requiring roughly six-hour full closures for each pole installation. Dawkey said only about five poles would fall on county right-of-way but that the company’s use of the roadway for the work could still block traffic for many days during the project.

The chair moved that the county “not issue a permit” until staff and Alabama Power develop an alternate plan that allows traffic to pass. Commissioners discussed keeping one lane open at all times by providing an 11-foot shoulder or temporary pad where the utility needs to set cranes and outriggers; Dawkey said widening the shoulder or providing pads could reduce closures and road damage. Commissioners also raised the risk to school buses and emergency vehicles and emphasized that the county expects Alabama Power to repair or pay for road damage if it occurs.

Commissioners agreed to work with Alabama Power to explore relocating a small number of poles, to coordinate an access/right-of-way plan, and to develop a construction approach that minimizes full closures. The motion to withhold the permit passed after a motion and second.

Next steps: county staff will pursue an alternate plan with Alabama Power focused on keeping one lane open where feasible, evaluating the feasibility of 11-foot pads/shoulders, and clarifying responsibility for roadway repairs before the county will issue a permit.