Cross Street may be better known to Russellville residents as ‘the street that runs behind Walmart,’ but one thing’s for certain—it’s one of the busiest roads in the entire city and that’s why Russellville District Five City Councilman Jamie Harris said it was a priority to include Cross Street on the list of paving projects for his district.
Cross Street was repaved last week and it didn’t take long for work crews to finish the project, from Lawrence Street south to Willow Bend Apartments.
Cross was among the many roadways in District Five, and across the city, included in a massive infrastructure project.
More than $4 million was allocated by Mayor David Grissom and the Russellville City Council for the largest repaying and infrastructure improvement project in the city’s history.
Harris said Cross Street was a priority based on the road’s condition and volume of traffic. Russellville District One Councilman David Palmer, a professional engineer, conducted an inspection of every road in Russellville’s city limits to rate their condition. That score, along with whether roads are major connectors and the volume of use, determined the rating of each road to determine the best use of the approximate $800,000 available for each of the city’s five districts.
Each councilman met individually with Palmer to go over the rating system, along with concerns from residents of each district, to decide which roads would be repaved.
In addition to Cross Street, Harris’ district has seen or will see the repaving of Woodland Hills and A.B. Hester subdivisions, Cedar Creek subdivision, Ronnie McDowell Avenue and more, as funds allow.
“I talked with (Councilman Palmer) about how the grading system worked and which roads would maximize the use of funds available and would best benefit residents,” Harris said. “Cross Street is definitely one of the most traveled roads in District Five. We’ve also had a lot of complaints from business owners about Ronnie McDowell Avenue so it was included. We want to take care of our residents, but also take care of our businesses too.”
Another upcoming project in District Five will be repaving South Washington Avenue from Alabama 24 south to Highway 43. This project will utilize micropaving.
Micropaving is a pavement preservation technique that uses a mixture of polymer-modified asphalt emulsion, aggregate (small crushed rock), mineral filler, and water to create a thin, protective layer over existing asphalt pavements. It’s a newer, but more cost-effective option, Palmer explained.
“Before microsurfacing (micropaving), you must patch and level the road 30 days ahead of when the crew comes in,” Palmer said. “We are using Street Department labor and materials as much as possible to complete the prerequisite work for roads that will be micropaved.”
While much of the District Five projects have been completed, Harris assures residents there’s more to come.
“Work will be continuing and there will be additional roads once these ongoing projects are completed,” Harris said. “We can’t solve every road issue but we have made significant progress on a lot of roads in District Five.”
Harris also expressed his appreciation to Palmer for conducting the road grading system across the entire city, something he volunteered to do on his own time.
“(Councilman Palmer’s) experience as Franklin County Engineer is a true asset for our city and through his efforts we’re able to decide which roads presented the most pressing needs,” Harris said.
