Massey Road, pedestrian bridge top infrastructure goals for 2019

In addition to major design and construction projects, other infrastructure projects are also expected to be completed next year in Vestavia Hills outside of Community Spaces funding.

To help mitigate flooding, the city is working to clean out drainage pipes and keep them clean to help move water out of the city as quickly as possible, City Manager Jeff Downes said.

The Massey Road project, which has been discussed and worked on for several years, will widen and install sidewalks in 2019, Downes said. The project is a combination of state and federal funding.

That project and the proposed pedestrian bridge connecting the city library to Wald Park are tied for the most frustrating projects of his career, Downes said. The bridge will be designed throughout 2019, but Downes said construction should start sometime inearly 2020.

In July 2018, the council authorized additional design work on the bridge after the Alabama Department of Transportation mandated the redesign in order to make the project ADA-compliant. Downes said in July that the bridge was originally designed with a ramp in mind but must now have an elevator.

At that same council meeting, the council approved the dedication of Liberty Parkway as a public roadway, clearing the way for the road to be turned into a consistent four-lane road. Work began in fall 2018 and should be completed in spring 2019.

Construction work on a tunnel connecting Liberty Parkway to the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex is expected to begin in 2019 as well, and the city plans to start constructing sidewalks on Green Valley Road to connect from Dolly Ridge Road to the Walgreens.

The city is also working to create a trail network around the Wald Park, City Hall and library area, with design and early construction to occur in 2019.

This story is part of our Year in Preview. See more here.