Wilson Dam Road widening resumes

MUSCLE SHOALS -- Warmer weather has returned to the Shoals and with it a return to work on a widened stretch of Wilson Dam Road.

Motorists have been using three lanes of the improved highway since summer.

The Rogers Group was contracted to widen the two-lane road to seven lanes, but suspended paving during the winter when temperatures became too cold.

The project involves widening Wilson Dam Road from River Road to about 600 feet south of Avalon Avenue.

Wilson Dam Road will eventually be widened to seven lanes from River Road to Alabama 157 as part of the Patton Island bridge corridor project.

Kenny Adomyetz, construction manager for Rogers Group in North Alabama, said temperatures need to remain above 60 degrees to apply the road surface.

"Temperatures that are low affect the quality of the job you get," Adomyetz said. "This (pavement) mix is a little different from what we're putting on other jobs."

He said workers will apply the wearing layer to the west side of Alabama 133 then shift traffic onto the eastbound lanes and apply the surface to that side.

Temporary striping will be applied until the road cures and permanent stripes can be applied.

"At this point, we have about four weeks left to finish it up," Adomyetz said.He said adverse weather could delay completion.

Mark Dale, state Department of Transportation division maintenance engineer, said workers have been paving around the corners of intersections along the project route and where it ties into side roads.

Dale said it's best not to pave when temperatures are below 50 degrees. He said contractors can achieve the proper compression and density of the material when the pavement mixture remains warmer longer.

"We're looking forward to finishing it up," Adomyetz said. "We're just trying to get a good road in there."