County to upgrade 15 miles of roads

RUSSELLVILLE Rebuild Alabama funding will be used to improve 15 miles of road in Franklin County.

The 2019 Rebuild Alabama Act funds transportation improvements through a gas tax increase, providing direct allocations and competitive grant opportunities to cities and counties.

County Engineer Jason Baggett said the 15 road segments were chosen based on conditions, traffic volume and available funding. All the roads fall under county maintenance, and work includes resurfacing and restriping through two separate contracts.

Combined, the work covers approximately 15.65 miles and costs about $1.92 million — $1,181,925.86 for a contract with Grayson Carter and Son Construction, and $741,567.56 for a contract with APAC Alabama.

Grayson Carter and Son Construction’s work, which will begin this month, will cover:

• Highway 48 (6.67 miles) from Highway 77 to Highway 68;

• Cave Hollow Road (3.22 miles) from Waterloo Road to the Colbert County line; and

• Green Road (2.27 miles) from Highway 524 to the dead end.

This contract allows 40 working days to finish the job. Baggett said he expects the work to be completed by the end of August.

Minor milling is also included on Cave Hollow Road near Tharptown High School.

Milling helps maintain proper pavement profile and drainage by removing uneven surfaces before resurfacing. According to the Alabama Department of Transportation, this process can extend pavement life and improve driving conditions.

APAC Alabama began its portion of the project in late June and is expected to finish by the end of this month. That work includes:

• Highway 128 (0.50 miles) from Alabama 24 to Highway 28;

• Boyd Road (0.58 miles) from Highway 28 to Highway 28 loop;

• Highway 29 (1.08 miles) from Alabama 247 to AL 247 loop; and

• Highway 21 (1.33 miles) from Alabama 247 to Highway 90.

The APAC contract includes 25 working days to complete the work.