After a recent fatality near the intersection, the Russellville City Council voted to authorize Mayor David Grissom to move forward with officials from the Alabama Department of Transportation to make safety improvements at the Highway 43/Gandy Street intersection.
Earlier this year, a woman was killed after a car that had been hit at the intersection was pushed into the 43 Grill parking lot where she was struck.
After that incident, Grissom contacted ALDOT engineer Mark Dale and asked for assistance in making safety improvements to the intersection.
Dale and his ALDOT team from the Tuscumbia office came to Russellville and assessed the intersection. Dale sent Grissom a map with proposed improvements that include the installation of a concrete barrier that would prevent eastbound traffic on Gandy from turning north onto 43.
Grissom updated the council at its April 15 meeting and the council voted to authorize Grissom to write a letter to ALDOT and move forward with a cost estimate for the safety improvements.
“That intersection definitely needs some work. If we can save one life then it's worth doing,” Grissom said.
ALDOT recommendations call for eastbound traffic on Gandy to be routed either south onto 43 or to turn north on the access road to make the turn onto 43 north.
Northbound traffic on 43 could still turn west onto Gandy and traffic exiting the AT&T store would have an exit south of Gandy so as to allow it to enter the turn lane to travel west onto Gandy.
Southbound 43 traffic would still be allowed to turn east into the AT&T store parking lot.
Grissom thanked Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett and City Councilman Arthur Elliott for their assistance in working on the project.
The council discussed making the concrete barriers temporary to assess the effectiveness of the safety improvements.
In other action, the council:
--approved a resolution declaring April Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Prevention Month.
--approved an $1,800 contract with Jeff Frederick to provide softball umpiring services for the City of Russellville Parks and Recreation Department.
--accepted a letter of resignation from Beverly Harvey from the Riverbend Board of Directors.
--approved a request from the Russellville High School softball team to waive the rental fee at the A.W. Todd Centre on May 23, 2019.
The next regular meeting of the Russellville City Council is set for Monday, May 6 with work session at 6 p.m., and meeting to follow.
