By Cathy Higgins
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Plans to bring a truck route to Bay Minette could be close to reality, as evidenced in an informational meeting held on the endeavor Monday evening.
The meeting, which preceded the Bay Minette City Council’s regular meeting, was held in the filled-to-capacity council chambers. Mayor Jamie Tillery explained the city’s motivation behind the project.
“We knew there were problems with trucks around the square,” she said in an address to the audience, “so we went to counsel.”
That counsel included consulting with Hutchinson, Moore and Rauch LLKC Engineering Firm and coordinating with the Alabama Department of Transportation to find a plausible solution.
HMR Project Engineer Robbie Strom was on hand Monday to explain the firm’s findings, which included two options for a route that would divert semi-truck traffic from the Courthouse Square.
“Alternative route one utilizes West First Street to bypass Courthouse Squre,” Strom’s report states. “Analyisis indicates that West First Street has adequate width to accommodate an increase in commercial traffic with the exception of its intersection with D’Olive Street.”
Strom explained that this option would mean relocating a utility pole and turn lane at the intersection. But a variation of that plan would connect West First Street to East Seconde Street through Hoyle Avenue.
“Hoyle Avenue has signalized traffic control at each intersection providing for safe turning movements,” Strom’s report states.
The final option consists of bypassing Courthouse Square at Railroad Street.
“The east end of Railroad Street traverses through primarily light industrial/commercial zones,” Strom’s report states. “The western end of Railroad Street from West Pine Street to Armstrong Avenue is primarily a single-family residential area. This alternative is attractive in the sense that the increase in commercial truck traffic would have less impact on the businesses in the downtown area, and there is currently less traffic volume on Railroad Street than the other alternatives.”
Following Strom’s presentation, he and other representatives of HMR and ALDOT answered audience questions on an individual basis.
According to Tillery, two subsequent informational meetings on the truck-route project will be held, with the first being at 5 p.m. Monday and the second at the same time on Jan. 30.
“Then we will vote in February to petition ALDOT to confirm a route,” she said.
