There was a steady traffic of local citizens during a Public Involvement meeting held Thursday afternoon (8/28) at Childersburg Church of Christ, located on Alabama Highway 235, for which the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has proposed traffic changes.
Maps were available for both current and proposed changes, as well as about a dozen ALDOT representatives that answered questions posed by meeting visitors. A written explanation of the proposal from ALDOT officials said that the project was to, “improve traffic flow and decrease congestion along AL-235 near Childersburg.”
That same document said that the project will consist of safety countermeasures to include: resurfacing, traffic striping, guardrail and guardrail-end anchors, geometry corrections, and a 2-foot safety widening. To affect that 2-foot safety widening, the existing four (4) travel lanes will be reconfigured to two (2) travel lanes and a center two-way turn lane.
Childersburg city officials as well as the local legislative delegation have been united in their opposition to the proposed changes, specifically the lane reduction.
“One of the major advantages our industrial park offers to current and future industries is the current four-lane highway access to US Highway 280,” said Mayor Ken Wesson. “We are currently making upgrades to the roads inside our industrial park to allow a pair of our currently expanding industries to take better advantage of that four-lane access to Highway 280. We feel that this proposal from ALDOT compromises that.”
AL-235 is frequently referred to as “Plant Road” due to numerous industrial sites along the road. We spoke with Sebastian Kidd, the Domtar Coosa Pines Mill Manager, who attended the gathering to study the maps and talk with ALDOT officials about their proposal.
“It’s certainly a lot to take in and consider for our operations, as well as for our neighboring industries,” said Kidd.
Kidd said that his initial observation was to inspect the provided maps for changes proposed for the entry and exit points that Domtar traffic uses on a daily basis, “We also have to look at what the proposed changes will mean for heavier industrial-related vehicles and their ability to get up to safe travel speed.”
Kidd pointed out that the new middle left-turn lane will help anyone needing them to turn left, but added that there are a number places where local traffic might need to make right turns, “I can see a number of deceleration lanes for those right turns, but is that enough to avoid the issues that right turns can create on a two-lane road? There are a lot of important things to consider from our industrial traffic point of view.”
ALDOT provided comment forms for those who attended the meeting. They accepted some written responses during the gathering and asked that others be mailed to the address provided within ten business days after the public meeting. Project information and comment forms can also be accessed from: www.ALDOTinvolved.com
