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County raises safety concerns over Alabama Power plan to set large poles on Sandy Road
Summary
St. Clair County commissioners and engineers said Alabama Power’s plan to set very large poles along Sandy Road — which could close stretches of the road for multiple six-hour periods across roughly three weeks — risks blocking emergency response and called for alternate plans, detours or off‑road crane pads.
St. Clair County commissioners pressed Alabama Power’s representatives after staff shared plans to install large distribution poles on Sandy Road that would, as shown in company documents, require repeated full closures of the county right of way.
County engineer Dan told the commission the utility’s plan would close portions of the road for “six hours at a time” on multiple days while cranes are set and poles placed, potentially leaving a quarter‑mile segment impassable. “If there’s a fire, if there’s an ambulance call… that’s an absolute nightmare,” he said.
Commissioners and staff said the proposal creates public‑safety and traffic‑management problems for a heavily traveled corridor and asked Alabama Power to explore alternatives. Suggestions included working on weekends, building temporary crane pads or easements on adjacent private property, staging the work to leave at least one lane open, or preparing a formal detour plan that accounts for school and commuter traffic.
Engineer Dan recommended the county’s road‑engineering staff meet with the utility’s engineers to develop alternate approaches and assess where the company already holds easements. Commissioners instructed staff to schedule that coordination and to press the company for measures that would ensure emergency access during construction.
Officials said they do not oppose necessary infrastructure improvements but emphasized the county’s obligation to keep rights of way passable for first responders and everyday travel. No formal vote was taken; staff will follow up with Alabama Power and report options at a future meeting.
