The state plans to begin paving U.S. 31 from the Tennessee River bridge to Thomas Hammonds Road, just north of Calhoun Community College, this summer, officials said.
Travis Kilgore, Alabama Department of Transportation’s new North Region preconstruction engineer, told the Decatur-area Metropolitan Planning Organization last week that they awarded the contract to Rogers Group in May.
MPO Director Dewayne Hellums said Rogers’ bid and the preliminary engineering put the project estimate at $4 million. This is $590,754 less than the original estimate. The project will be funded with $3.22 million in federal funding and $805,051 in state money.
Kilgore said most of the project will be done at night to lessen the impact on daily traffic.
In a related project, Kilgore said ALDOT is coordinating with the railroad to get approval for the design of the replacement U.S. 31 bridge that’s just north of Decatur’s causeway. Work likely won’t begin until 2027, he said.
Updates on other road projects in the area:
• Rogers Group won the contract for the rehabilitation of Church Street Northeast, between Somerville Road and Sixth Avenue, and the project should begin soon, Kilgore said.
Hellums said they saved money because they didn’t have the utility concerns in the road that they had on the previous phase of Church Street. The bid came in at just over $1 million. MPO is devoting $802,594 in federal funding to the project, and the city match is $200,648.
• Kilgore said Interstate 65 bridge maintenance should end in August or September. Traffic has shifted back to normal lanes, but the contractor needs to complete permanent striping.
Priceville Mayor Sam Heflin commended the contractor and the state, saying the project went better than most people expected.
• Kilgore said the paving of I-65 in Morgan County is near Alabama 36, and they’re moving north to the river.
“It’s nighttime work until the main paving is complete,” Kilgore said. “Work is ongoing on the shoulders, ramps and guardrail. It’s estimated to be complete probably by the end of summer or early fall.”
• On the Sixth Avenue streetscape, Kilgore said the developers are working on access management and sidewalks. Most of the signal poles are installed, and contractors are working on sidewalks on the west side.
“It’s about 65% to 75% complete,” Kilgore said.
• Paving of Alabama 24 around the intersection of South Greenway Drive in Trinity is almost complete. Rogers Group is working on grading and drainage.
• Work should start soon on Vaughn Bridge Road’s intersection with U.S. 31. They’re waiting for delivery of the traffic signal equipment needed for the project.
• The West Morgan Road culvert over Baker’s Creek is almost complete. Crews are working on shoulders and getting vegetation established.
• Grayson Carter and Son won the contract with a $1.3 million bid to pave Alabama 67 from I-65 to Sixth Avenue. Paving should start in a few weeks, Kilgore said.
• Rogers Group won the contract with a $1 million bid to pave Beltline Road from Alabama 24 to Alabama 20. Work should start later this summer, he said.
• Kilgore estimated the design on the I-65’s bridge at Lacon is about 65% complete. ALDOT will likely seek bids during fiscal 2027, he said.