Public meeting Aug. 10 to address Upper River Road intersection projects
Jul. 29—The city of Decatur's Engineering Department will hold a public input meeting Aug. 10 at Turner-Surles Community Center on intersection projects planned for Upper River Road and Old River Road.
The session from 5 to 6 p.m. will be a come-and-go event for attendees to share their thoughts on the corridor projects. Feedback will be discussed in a small group setting with a project liaison.
Representatives of the city and Garver Engineering will be available to answer questions. The City Council approved Garver in December to perform engineering and design for the Upper River Road-Alabama 67 intersection for $126,810.
In 2020, Garver did a study of 14 intersections in Southeast Decatur and Priceville on behalf of the Decatur-area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The study found that traffic turning right off Upper River Road onto Alabama 67 is a major concern, particularly during morning rush hour traffic.
City Engineer Carl Prewitt said today the plan is to turn the west end of Upper River Road to the south to make it more perpendicular to Alabama 67 and add a traffic light.
A separate right lane is part the Garver plan to eliminate backups during rush hours, Prewitt said.
On Monday, the City Council is scheduled to consider a resolution to begin rights-of-way acquisition for the Upper River Road-Alabama 67 project. The project budget is about $2.4 million.
In their opposition to a planned apartment development off Upper River Road, Hickory Hills residents said the Old River Road intersection with Upper River Road has also been a problem for years with several fatalities there.
Prewitt said there are plans for a possible roundabout at this intersection to control access and reduce speed. A cost estimate is not available yet.
— bayne.hughes@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2432. Twitter @DD_BayneHughes.
