City Council considers grant for Three Notch restriping project

Published 11:57 am Thursday, November 11, 2021

As part of a three-year plan to purchase Christmas lights that line the Bypass, MLK Expressway and a portion of Hwy. 29, the council approved to spend $41,000 to complete the project. The council had voted to spend up to $50,000 for three years to purchase the lights for those areas and this is the final year of that plan.

The lights to be purchased will be erected along Hwy. 29 from Tabby D’s restaurant to Walmart as well as along Hwy. 29 up to Shaw Industries.

The council also voted to reappoint Elizabeth Bennett and Laura Carpenter to the city’s Library Board.

Dr. Charles Eldridge was reappointed to the Public Education Building Authority. According to Mayor Earl Johnson, the PEBA was established to raise funds for modernizing the Andalusia High School stadium and auditorium. He said there is still one portion of the project to be completed and that PEBA still has funds available.

During the council’s work session, the members heard a presentation by CDG Engineers regarding the possibility of applying for a grant that would be used for proposed traffic-flow changes to East Three Notch Street. The project is only a proposal at this time and has not been approved.

Funding for the project could come through applying for a TRIPP grant. The city applied for the grant in 2020, but it was not awarded at that time.

The project would include restriping East Three Notch to include two-lane traffic flow with a single turn lane in the center. Each side would include a bike lane, providing additional space between roadway vehicles and the sidewalk.

If the city applies for the grant and is awarded, the funding could be utilized for restriping East Three Notch from Stanley Avenue to the Bypass. The city would be responsible for the costs involved with restriping Stanley to the downtown square.

No action was taken on the proposal or the grant application.