Commissioners press Alabama Power for plan after proposed Sy Road pole work would force repeated road closures

St. Clair County commissioners on Tuesday directed staff to demand alternatives from Alabama Power after the utility presented plans to set dozens of very large poles along Sy Road that would, as shown in project submissions, require shutting the road for multiple hours on numerous days.

The project maps the placement of more than 40 poles; county staff said about 21–23 locations as currently drawn would require use of the county roadway as the crane pad and staging area, and that the worst‑case schedule would see the road closed about six hours a day for roughly 21 days. "We just feel like there's got to be a better solution," said the chair during the discussion, emphasizing emergency access and the risk to first responders if the road is repeatedly blocked.

Commissioners and staff raised multiple practical concerns: potential pavement damage from heavy crane outrigger loads, lack of an agreed detour plan for residents and school traffic, and no prior coordination about road closure dates. Dan, the county engineer, noted Alabama Power representatives had assumed the county had been developing closure or detour plans; in the county's account, that assumption was incorrect and created the sudden schedule pressure.

The commission asked county engineering staff to work urgently with Alabama Power engineers to identify design alternatives — options discussed included weekend work, creating temporary crane pads on private easements, narrowing operations to keep at least one lane open, or other measures that would maintain emergency access. Commissioners also said they might seek indemnity language or repair guarantees to cover pavement damage and emergency‑response impacts if full road closures are unavoidable.

Next steps: staff will convene the utility's engineers and county road staff and return recommendations on mitigations and any proposed written agreements. The commissioners did not vote on the utility plan but instructed staff to pursue alternatives and bring a recommended path back to the board.