Jeffrey Harte posted encouraging messages before construction began
Safety Director Jeffery Harte used electronic billboards to capture drivers’ attentions
STORY BY AMY PASSARETTI, BETSY ILER & MITCH SNEED PHOTOS BY BETSY ILER & KENNETH BOONE
Harte said. “Any time you make that big of a change to the traffic patterns, you have to do it in stages to help people get used to it.” Construction began by removing striping and rerouting traffic on Lee Street. Ingram Paving demolished and reconstructed four lanes of the street, closing two at a time, so traffic continued to flow. Some pavement was not in bad shape and only had to be filled with a shallow base, while other places needed close to an 18-inch dig to properly repair the road. Washington Street was paved from city limits to the rail crossing near the Russell Corporation headquarters building. It also was painted in a new configuration with a dedicated turn lane, and both streets were finished with high-density thermoplastic road markings once paving was complete. The work was funded through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program. 2018 LOOK WHAT YOU DID!
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