Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Bridge Pedestrian Project topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears $30 million bridge/pedestrian crossover plan, ALDOT lighting coordination
Summary
City leaders described a major pedestrian crossover and bridge project to connect Main Street across railroad tracks, discussed coordination with CSX and Norfolk Southern, and sought a coordinated lighting plan with ALDOT and Shelby County; the mayor said a design change could save about $3.5 million and staff reported roughly $28 million in verbal commitments toward the estimated cost.
City officials updated the council on plans for a major pedestrian and vehicle crossover project intended to connect Main Street across active railroad tracks and address access and emergency-response routing.
The mayor said the project is a major undertaking with an estimated cost in the neighborhood of $30 million and reported that roughly $28 million in verbal commitments have been secured so far. He described a design change negotiated with staff and railroad partners that, in his view, could reduce project cost by about $3.5 million; the mayor presented that saving as an estimate and attributed it to the design modification.
Officials emphasized the need to work with CSX and Norfolk Southern on pedestrian routing, gates and disabled access. The mayor noted the existing bridge approaches include sections near a 6% grade and said that steeper inclines present challenges for wheelchair users; the council discussed project design decisions intended to preserve ADA access.
The city engineer briefed council members on parallel work to coordinate lighting for the I‑65/Route 228 exit with ALDOT and Shelby County. The engineer said ALDOT historically uses a 50/50 cost-share policy on similar projects and that the lighting design must be considered alongside a planned road realignment, the bridge approach and sidewalk alignments to achieve a seamless corridor into downtown.
Officials said grant-writing, detailed design and frequent coordination calls with railroad and state partners are ongoing; staff named the grant writer, attorney and city engineer as active participants in advancing the project through design and funding stages.
