Grants Mill, Cahaba Beach road studies moving forward

Two years after being approved by the city of Birmingham, a feasibility study on using Grants Mill Road to relieve congestion on U.S. 280 looks ready to begin later this year.

In 2015, Birmingham approved a joint traffic study of Grants Mill and U.S. 280 to look for possible alternate corridors where Grants Mill could be relocated, widened and have its speed limit increased between Highway 119 and I-459. The road runs through several jurisdictions, so the study was planned as a cooperative effort between Birmingham, Vestavia Hills, Irondale, Hoover, Leeds, Mountain Brook, Jefferson County, Shelby County and the Birmingham Water Works Board.

Since the 2015 agreement, that project has not moved forward. However, Andre Bittas, Birmingham’s director of planning and engineering, said in early August that Birmingham was almost finished with obtaining funding agreements and memoranda of understanding with each of their partners in the project. The estimated price tag when it was discussed in 2015 was $1.04 million.

After those agreements are finalized, Bittas said the city can schedule a meeting to kickoff the feasibility study on Grants Mill and U.S. 280. The study will take several months to complete, after which public meetings would be scheduled to present design options and hear feedback.

Another project for redirecting some of U.S. 280’s traffic is also making progress. ALDOT is considering options to relocate part of Cahaba Beach Road in Shelby County, including rebuilding a bridge over the Little Cahaba River, to connect U.S. 280 and Sicard Hollow Road.

Public meetings were held in October 2016 to present five major design alternatives for the road, with cost estimates ranging from $10 million to $21.6 million. Major concerns for residents who came to those meetings included environmental impact on the river, runoff and traffic impact on Sicard Hollow and the surrounding area.

Shelby County engineer Randy Cole said ALDOT is currently in the environmental review process, with multiple alternatives being considered. Another public hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Liberty Park Middle School from 5 to 7 p.m. before a final decision on the path for Cahaba Beach Road is made.