Members of the Walker County Commission took time at the end of Monday’s meeting to update residents on projects taking place in each of the county’s four districts.
District 1 Commissioner Keith Davis said there are a lot of positive things happening in the county, he highlighting that the Smith Lake Dam Road paving project will soon be underway.
“Paving a road costs $160,000 per mile, with 1,100 miles of roads and 100 bridges in this county,” he said. “That gives a good idea of just how much it would cost to pace every road. We are working and doing the best with what funds we have.”
Davis added that several roads in the district have been paved and completed recently, most of those being in the area of Fall City Road. He also said there is a shortage of rock which affecting paving in the state.
District 2 Commissioner Jeff Burrough said Wiregrass Construction will soon be coming in on a Rebuild Alabama project to pave three miles of Dogtown Road. He said other smaller projects in and around Carbon Hill being repaired and resurfaced by county workers include Maddox Road, Buttercup Road and New Oak Grove Road.
District 3 Commissioner Jim Borden said McCollum Road is to be resurfaced in the near future and Brown’s Bridge is currently under construction. He said the Brown’s Bridge construction crew is working to accommodate first responders to come through the area while the project is ongoing.
“They wanted me to be sure to let the first responders know that the barriers will not keep them from coming down the road in an emergency,” he said.
District 4 Commissioner Steven Aderholt said Pineywoods-Sipsey Road paving should begin soon. Engineer Mike Short said Wiregrass had an opening at its Birmingham asphalt plant, which will allow for that project to be done sooner.
Adderholt also mentioned the litter issue across the county, specifically in District 4. He said litter crews picked up 252 bags of trash in July alone, and almost 200 bags in August.
“Everyone please be observant of litter crews to minimize danger to those working to clean up the county,” he said. “We don’t need anyone getting hurt while they are working on the side of the road.”
Commission Chairman Steve Miller said he was proud of the work going on around the county.
“Everything being done is for the betterment of Walker County,” he said. “We are doing all we can do with the dollars that we have. At some point, the county will need to have another revenue stream to maintain the forward momentum that we have now.”
In action from the meeting, the commission:
- Approved an airport grant application that will fund the mill and overlay design for the runway. Miller said the airport is important to the county because it is “the gateway to industrial development.”
- Approved an agreement to contract with the Alabama Department of Youth Services to have a facility in Walker County.
- Approved a digital information contract for the appraisal department, which is split with the Alabama Department of Transportation for aerial photos used in mapping the county.
- Approved an EMA grant which helps fund the local Emergency Management Agency.
- Approved the hiring of Kelly McCurry and Freddy Busby as part-time employees at the Walker County Humane Society and Adoption Center.
- Approved trading to WEX Fleet Cards for fuel purchases. The new cards will allow for drivers to purchase fuel at more locations across the county.
- Approved the purchase of the old G. May & Sons building in downtown Jasper, which is located adjacent to the Walker County Probate Judge’s Office.
