Official says Patton bridge’s final phase moved back to 2013

MUSCLE SHOALS – Construction of the final phase of the Patton Island bridge corridor has been pushed back to 2013, a state department of transportation official said Thursday.

The widening of Wilson Dam Road between Avalon Avenue and the Norfolk Southern Railroad overpass had been scheduled to begin in 2010, according to the DOT’s five-year plan.

DOT maintenance engineer Mark Dale relayed the information to members of the Shoals Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Policy Committee on Thursday.

Another major project that has once again been pushed back is the widening of U.S. 43 from U.S. 72 at Killen to the Tennessee state line.

Construction of the first leg of that project is scheduled to begin in 2009, but the remainder of the project was pushed back to 2014, Dale said.

“The problem is they’re running out of money,” said state Sen. Bobby Denton, D-Muscle Shoals. “What we’ve got to do is have a Joint Highway Committee meeting and talk to the (highway) director and see if we can find some answers to this.”

Denton is a member of the Joint Highway Committee, which approves the state’s five-year transportation plan.

DOT spokesman Tony Harris said that since 2005, the federal government has rescinded about $250 million in federal highway funds from the state.

This means the federal government will take back funds that had been appropriated, but not yet sent to the state.

According to a rescission notice posted on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Web site this month, more than $871 million was rescinded to cover the cost of “U.S. troop readiness, veterans care, (Hurricane) Katrina recovery and the Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act.”

Alabama’s share of that rescission amounted to $16.5 million.

A rescission order issued in March canceled almost $3.5 billion in unobligated federal highway funds nationwide. Alabama had to return $65 million as part of that order.

“This is something we know can happen,” Harris said. “It’s not unusual.”

He said the main reason for rescissions is to offset shortfalls in the projected revenue in the National Highway Trust Fund, which is funded by gasoline taxes.

U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer said he was advised by Gov. Bob Riley and members of the state's transportation industry about possible shortfalls in the year-end appropriations bill.

"I then worked with my colleagues from North Alabama and the Appropriations Committee leadership to make certain that the proper funding was included to continue with the state's authorized projects," Cramer said in a news release.

"We were successful in securing the funds within that bill, and I will continue to work with ALDOT and the Federal Highway Administration to move our region's important road projects forward."

While he could not specifically address the local projects, Harris said projects all through the state were pushed back or scaled back.

Dale said right-of-way acquisition has been approved for Wilson Dam Road from Avalon Avenue to the railroad overpass.

Right-of-way acquisition was also approved for U.S. 43 from Killen to Alabama 64.

Shoals officials were not happy with the news.

"This is one of the most important projects in Lauderdale County at this time," Lauderdale County Commissioner Larry Irons said of the U.S. 43 project.

"We need to get it back (on the five-year plan) quick," Irons said. "I don't know what it will take to do it."

Colbert County Commissioner James Bingham said he hated to see the projects pushed back.

"I think it will be a hindrance to the Shoals with the population increase we're expecting," Bingham said.

Dale said there were other Shoals highway projects that have been delayed.

The construction of a center turn lane on Helton Drive from Hermitage Drive to Cox Creek Parkway has been pushed back to 2011.

Additional lanes on U.S. 72 from Indian Springs to Shoal Creek Bridge has been pushed back to 2012. Utility relocation on that project was scheduled to begin in 2010.

Additional lanes on Chisholm Road from Rasch Road to Section Line Road have also been delayed.

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