If City of Russellville officials were to announce their plans for a $3.817 million paving project through text message, they might post it in all capital letters, as it's far and away the largest such plan in the city's history.
The Russellville City Council took the next step toward that plan becoming a reality when it approved a contract with the Civil Group of Florence to handle preliminary engineering, including plan development, specifications and letting to contract at the council's March 18th meeting.
Once the project is started, the same firm will handle engineering and inspection as road improvements are being made across the city.
The $3.817 million will come from several sources, including Rebuild Alabama Act funds (the state's 10-cent per gallon gas tax), the general fund and other city funding.
When the council approved purchasing its own paving equipment last year, it was 'all part of the process leading up to' what will be the largest-scale road improvement Russellville residents have seen, according to District One City Councilman David Palmer.
Palmer said if the Russellville Street Department, using the new equipment, is able to do the bulk of final paving where the job doesn't have to be bid out, the funds will stretch even more.
“We would be able to do those jobs much cheaper obviously than if we have to let those same streets to contract,” Palmer said. “This will be a two-phased project. Some will be done this summer into the fall. And the final phase will take place next spring and hopefully be completed by summer 2025.”
Palmer said all City of Russellville streets were recently inspected, something that hasn't been done in four years. From those inspections, data is used to assess streets and that information will be distributed to council members so they can review the most pressing needs in their districts.
“That information includes traffic data, the number of residences, the number of businesses, etc.,” Palmer said. “Those things are used as metrics to determine priority lists as well, in addition to the index produced from the inspections.”
District Two Councilman Darren Woodruff is reviewing the inspection reports for his district. Woodruff has been in contact with Palmer about his preferences for projects based on need and cost.
“I am very excited to be part of the largest paving project in the history of the City of Russellville,” Woodruff said. “I look forward to seeing how much paving we can get done in District Two and the entire city.”
The $3.817 million will allow an average of $763,400 of paving and/or striping work in each of Russellville's five districts.
From the inspections, a map was prepared marking all city streets in varying colors that represent road condition and the other factors.
Palmer cautioned residents that even though there is a large amount of funding for these projects, just because a master list of streets is prepared, it doesn't mean all of those will get full resurfacing or repaving.
“We'll try to prioritize in each district from the top down to the bottom of what we want to do in this project. Some marginal streets may not make it ultimately,” Palmer said.
In other agenda items at its March 18th meeting, the council:
--approved a resolution to declare two Gravely Proturn 148 KAW lawnmowers surplus property and to trade them in for new lawnmowers at Kiel Equipment of Russellville.
--approved the purchase of two Gravely Proturn 148 lawnmowers from Kiel Equipment for a cost of $12,434 with trade-in.
--approved the resignation of Belen Paniagua from the position of Accounts Payable Clerk for the City of Russellville and authorized advertisement to fill the vacancy.
--approved a claim in the amount of $300.59 from Luis Diaz, 248 James Road, for damages to his mailbox by a Russellville Fire Department truck.
The next regular meeting of the Russellville City Council will be April 1, 2024, with work session at 6 p.m., and meeting to follow.
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