The nearly $80 million project to widen and extend Alabama Highway 181 from U.S. Highway 90 at Malbis to Highway 98 near Barnwell is one step closer to getting under way. Officials with the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) announced they have gotten approval from the Federal Highway Administration to move forward with the route preferred by the state and area residents.

The planned path will be parallel to the existing roadway, but the new lanes will shift sides along the way. The widening project lines up like this:

•From south of U.S. 90 to south of Lawson Road: Five-lane undivided highway (widening on the east side)

•From south of Lawson Road to around one-quarter mile north of County Road 64: Four-lane divided highway (widening on the west side)

•From around one-quarter mile north of County Road 64 to south of Rebel Road: Five-lane undivided Highway (widening on west side)

•From south of Rebel Road to south of County Road 24: Four-lane divided highway (widening on the east side)

•From south of County Road 24 to around one mile north of U.S. 98: Four-lane divided highway (widening on the west side)

•From round one mile north of U.S. 98 to U.S. 98: Four-lane divided highway on a new alignment.

Aerial photos illustrating three possible alignments were exhibited during a handful of informal public meetings before this plan was submitted to Washington for approval.

Shafik Hammami, ALDOT Ninth Division location engineer, said, “That will be the final path. We take all the comments from the public and review the environmental impact, the right-of-way cost and cost for the alternates and come up with the best solution to meet the requirements.”

Hammami pointed out the chosen route will affect the fewest homes and businesses, saying, “This particular alternate received the most favorable comments from the public. Of course, you never receive 100 percent because some people are losing their homes.”

The total corridor is around 200 feet wide. He said each section of divided highway will include a 40-foot median, and feature cut-throughs and turn lanes along the way.

Known officially as Project STPAA-0181 (500), the right-of-way acquisition for the segment south of Highway 90 to south of County Road 64 in Belforest will begin this month.

Ron Poiroux, division engineer, said it is difficult to estimate a completion date, although the entire project is expected to last around six years.

“It depends on how successful we are on negotiating the property or if we have to go to probate court to condemn,” Poiroux said. He noted condemnation proceedings would typically delay the overall project from three to six months.

An independent appraiser will be hired to look at each parcel and determine its value, he said, adding, “Hopefully we can negotiate with most of the people. We’re going to work on the whole right of way at one time.”

Likewise, survey crews will be laying out the entire route rather than doing it piecemeal. Taking care of it this way, according to Poiroux, enables ALDOT officials to speed up the land acquisition process. He said everyone impacted will be treated “justly and fairly.”

The final cost of the nearly 16-mile project will depend on how much the state must pay for materials, labor and right-of-way acquisition.

Although the project map indicates the project will begin with the connection at Highway 98, construction crews will actually begin on the north end and work south.

“We start from south to north, but that has nothing to do with construction,” Hammimi said. “It’s just how the project is described.”

Traffic on 181 has been steadily increasing over the last few years, particularly with the construction of a number of new subdivisions in progress. Poiroux said that seems to have boosted support for widening the former County Road 27.