Obstacle course

FLORENCE - As work on the north approach to the Patton Island bridge continues full speed, drivers might have to adjust their routes along Helton Drive and Florence Boulevard.

Traffic on Helton Drive can no longer turn left onto Florence Boulevard and eastbound Florence Boulevard traffic can no longer access Helton Drive.

Eastbound Florence Boulevard traffic can no longer turn onto Tune Avenue, either.

Kevin Evers, assistant construction engineer with the Alabama Department of Transportation's Second Division, said the situation will continue for several months.

At Helton Drive, contractors are digging out the existing center turn lanes to adjust the elevation of the new roadway.

"There's about a four- or five-foot dropoff, so we were not able to maintain access to Helton Drive," Evers said.

At Tune Avenue, a portion of the roadway has been removed to make way for a new access road that will serve several businesses along Florence Boulevard.

That road will run from in front of Alsco, Dollar General, Tiende Mexicana El Puente grocery store, Wright Insurance and several businesses along Helton Drive. The road will connect with Lawrence Avenue.

"Those businesses won't have access from Florence Boulevard anymore," Evers said. "(That section of) Helton Drive won't exist anymore once the job is over."

Helton Drive will likely be inaccessible until the road is closed.

"We want to leave Helton Drive open as long as we can," Evers said.

Access to Tune Avenue will likely open around October when the new service road is constructed.

Robert Beckwith said he had to drive out of his way Thursday to get to Dollar General.

"They've got it messed up, don't they," he said.

Jeanette Riggs said she normally enters Dollar General from the east and can exit behind the store onto Helton Drive to return home.

She said getting to the store Thursday was not a problem.

Evers said the entire 1.3-mile project should be completed by September 2008.

The project will extend Alabama 133 from Huntsville Road to Helton Drive at Hermitage Drive.

Evers said westbound Florence Boulevard traffic will eventually be shifted to the existing eastbound lanes at the Railroad Avenue overpass, allowing crews to construct the approaches to the widened overpass.

Once that is completed, westbound traffic will be placed on the new lanes at the overpass. The existing overpass will be removed and a new overpass built in its place.

"That's going to be a long process," Evers said.

He said contractors have completed the construction of the new overpass over Florence Boulevard.

"They're progressing very well," he said.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@timesdaily.com.