More lane shifts expected as construction continues

Tom Minetree said when completed, the Patton Island bridge corridor will bring together the four major cities of the Shoals.

And that's a good thing, he said.

The landscape along the bridge corridor changes noticeably almost daily, particularly at the Helton Drive-Florence Boulevard exchange in Florence.

The road will essentially provide a multi-laned highway from the Florence-Lauderdale Industrial Park, through Florence and Muscle Shoals to Alabama 157. Ultimately, a another loop is planned that would connect the corridor to U.S. 43, just south of Muscle Shoals.

Minetree, a Sheffield attorney, said the new road will be a big improvement to the Shoals' infrastructure.

He added the project will help make the area seem like one large city rather than four distinct communities, much like the boroughs that make up New York City.

"It's obviously going to help," Minetree said recently as he stopped to get gasoline at a local business.

Progress continues to be made as construction teams maintain a hefty pace on the corridor's north approach in Florence.

Motorists traveling Florence Boulevard around the new Alabama 133 interchange can expect more lane shifts as a Tennessee contractor continues to complete the final section of the Patton Island bridge's north approach.

Kerry Blanton, project superintendent for Wright Brothers Construction, said workers should have completed applying the asphalt base of Alabama 133 from Huntsville Road to Florence Boulevard.

"Everything is running according to schedule," Blanton said.

Drivers will also see new blacktop on ramps leading from the new road to Florence Boulevard.

Between now and the end of the month, Blanton said workers will begin paving the new westbound lanes of Florence Boulevard.

They also will begin paving a section of Tune Avenue, where it intersects with Florence Boulevard. He said Tune Avenue should be reopened by the end of the month.

Traffic also will be routed onto the new lanes of the Railroad Avenue overpass while workers continue replacing existing center lanes.

Blanton said the contractor will then begin work on a road that will serve businesses no longer accessible from Florence Boulevard.

The access road will run from Tune Avenue, parallel to Florence Boulevard, then along the old route of Helton Drive to Lawrence Avenue.

On the Helton Drive portion of the project that is now closed to traffic, Blanton said installation of new drainage culverts is completed, and workers will continue building the new roadbed.

The current phase of the corridor project ends at the Helton Drive-Hermitage Drive intersection.

Denzil Osborn moved to Lawrence Avenue in Florence about four years ago. The new roadway, which will roughly follow the path of Helton Drive, is about 150 feet from his back yard.

He said contractors informed him that a fence would be built not far from his back door and will cut across a concrete slab that supported a shop that was built by the former owner.

"We liked the house," said Osborn, who is originally from the Ford City area. He said he knew about the road plans before moving there.

"It's going to be better, no doubt about it," he said.

Blanton said the dry weather this year has been helpful in allowing workers to get ahead of schedule.

The recent 100-degree days, however, have forced the company to reduce the number of hours of some workers.

"It's holding you back," Blanton said. "You don't get near the production working eight hours a day as working 10 or 12."

Bridge crews and heavy equipment operators who have the benefit of air-conditioned cabs have continued to work 10-hour days, he said.

While tons of blacktop are being laid, Blanton said the final driving layer of asphalt will not be applied to the roadways until all work is completed, including curbs and gutters.

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