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Hwy. 84 needs help, says C'ville mayor
"It's unbelievable," she said. Cotten sat one day and counted over a hundred vehicles in an hour. The Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission's Rural Planning Organization (RPO) held a meeting June 14 with the Clarke County Citizens Committee in Coffeeville. The RPO is a vehicle where local community leaders can address road problems directly to ALDOT officials. Cotten would like to see regular paving of Highway 84 in her community instead of simple patching of problem areas on the highway. "Coming from Grove Hill, you see all the patch work," she said. "That's just a waste of time, a waste of money. They need to resurface the whole area." Another problem area in Coffeeville is Highway 69 North near Coffeeville High School. "If we get lots of rain, that culvert floods out….Something eventually is going to have to be done there." Cotten, other area elected officials and community leaders from Clarke and Choctaw Counties will travel to Washington July 11 and 12 to meet with U. S. Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions and U.S. Representatives Artur Davis and Jo Bonner, and officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation to promote Highway 84. "We're going to ask for more funding," the mayor said. "I wish we could get into the five-year plan…Mississippi is so much further ahead" with their construction on 84. The mayor is also excited about the proposed construction of a new Highway 84 bridge over the Tombigbee River at Coffeeville, promised in the next few years. Cotten said widening 84 will force businesses in Coffeeville to relocate, but the benefit of the improved highway would outweigh such problems. ALDOT projects for Clarke County detailed In a related matter, following is a list of ALDOT projects in Clarke County provided by the Alabama Tombigbee Regional Commission: + An agreement has been executed to resurface the West Industrial Bypass for State Road 177 to County Road 15 (Depot Road) and resurfacing County Road 15 from the West Industrial Bypass to 177. This is a joint project of the City of Jackson and the Clarke County Commission. + Construction of an access road from State Road 13 (U.S. Highway 43) south of Thomasville to the Industrial Park to benefit Southwest Alabama Medical Center, Lower Dixie Timber, Black Belt Industries, H&M Cleaners, JC Transport, Little Hawk Tile and M&M Steel. The project is not yet fully funded. + There is a preliminary agreement for the four-laning of State Road 5 from U.S. Highway 43 to State Road 25. + Slide correction on State Road 12 (U.S. Highway 84) from mile post 52.2 to mile post 55.4 east of Whatley. This project is part of the standard work program. + Add lanes to State Road 13 (U.S. Highway 43) from five lane in Thomasville to the Marengo County line. Preliminary engineering is underway for this project. + Resurface State Road 13 (U.S. Highway 43) from south of the north intersection of State Road 177 to north of County Road 10. This is part of the standard work program. + Add turn lanes to State Road 13 (U.S. Highway 43) at County Road 3 (McVay Road), one quarter mile in each direction. Preliminary engineering is underway. The project is expected to be under construction this year. + Replace bridges on State Road 69 over Kanetuche Creek north of Salitpa, and on State Road 69 over Jackson Creek, northwest of Jackson. Preliminary engineering for both projects has been funded and is underway. + Construction has begun for railroad bridge at Boise Cascade (U.S. Highway 43 Southeast). The following safety suggestions for improving roads have been made to ALDOT from Clarke County officials: + The need for turn lanes or acceleration-deceleration lanes at the New Era Cap facility on Highway 43 in Jackson. Traffic needs to be contained from the five lane portion ending in Jackson up to the proposed turn lanes end one quarter mile south of McVay Road. The City of Jackson has been awarded industrial access funds to address this problem. + A portion of Old Highway 84 crossing Highway 43 from the elementary school to the high school has been declared as a dangerous intersection, especially for school buses. ALDOT has already added caution signals at the location.
+ The intersection of Highway 69 at Highway 43 in Jackson has been declared dangerous. Traffic turning off 69 onto 43 heading north has a difficult time, local officials said. The intersection is being studied by ALDOT.
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