SPANISH FORT – City officials said they want to widen a portion of Alabama 225 where 14 accidents have taken place in less than three years.
The city of Spanish Fort is applying for a grant under the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II, known as ATRIP-II, for help pay for more than $1 million needed to add a third lane to the highway between Oak Ridge Drive and General Canby Boulevard.
Mayor Mike McMillan said the ATRIP-II program money can only be used for improvements on state highways.
“We’re trying to take advantage of some current money that’s out there,” McMillan told City Council members on Monday, Oct. 18. “It is very restrictive. It has to be used on state highways. You can’t use it on sidewalks.”
City Attorney David Conner said the estimated cost of adding the lane is more than $1.13 million.
In a half-mile portion of the highway between General Canby Boulevard and Oak Ridge Drive, at least 14 accidents were reported between Dec. 12, 2018 and July 23, 2021, according to a city report. Four accidents were reported to have injuries or possible injuries, but no deaths were listed on the reports.
The project is expected to improve safety on the highway by providing turn lanes for vehicles turning onto city streets, according to the city resolution.
Councilman J.R. Smith said drivers on the highway need the additional lanes.
“We still can’t even get a turn lane where you can turn into the subdivision at all,” Smith said. “You’ve just got to hit your brakes and pray for your life there.”
