Photo by Neal Embry.
Crews work to improve Crosshaven Drive in Cahaba Heights in mid-June.
Work continues on Crosshaven Drive in Cahaba Heights, with curb, gutter and sidewalk work currently taking place, City Manager Jeff Downes said.
Downes called the project one of the most challenging of his career. The focus of the work is to widen the road and make Crosshaven Drive two consistent through lanes with a middle turn lane, along with improving drainage and adding sidewalks between Overton Road and Cahaba Heights Road, Downes said.
Part of what makes the project so complicated is dealing with six or seven public entities, including Jefferson County, which is seeking to improve the intersection of Crosshaven with Green Valley Road. Downes said the project also includes purchasing about 30 tracts of land for right of way.
Downes said all the stormwater pipes, sanitary sewer pipes and commercial utilities have been relocated except the gas line belonging to Spire. Construction was performed on the east side of the street first while Spire completed utility work on the west side.
The county project will be done by the crew hired by the city, while Jefferson County will reimburse the city for the project. That project includes adding turn lanes, modifying the traffic signal and making the intersection more functional for higher volumes of traffic, Downes said. The timeline for that project is unknown. The county was set to vote on the project July 29, with Vestavia Hill’s council set to vote after that.
The contract for the project was awarded to Tortorigi Construction for about $4.6 million, which was $400,000 over the city’s initial budget for the project. Downes said improving Crosshaven Drive is a “huge priority” for the city and improving the flow of traffic would go a long way in satisfying residents. The “dysfunctional” road was the most complained about road in the city based on public surveys, Downes said.
However, while progress is being made, there is “pain in that progress,” Downes said.
During construction, crews found that a 60-inch-diameter pipe was failing and needed to be replaced, meaning the road would have to be shut down for five days. The pipe is not in danger of collapsing and does not pose a safety threat, but it could have a negative impact on stormwater drainage, said Raynor Boles with TCU Consulting, the city’s project manager for the Community Spaces Plan. However, it is unknown when that closure will take place. Boles said it did not happen during tax free weekend because it would negatively impact businesses, and the work did not need to be done during school hours. The pipe replacement may take place sometime this fall, he told the City Council at a recent meeting.
The cost of the project will likely jump to somewhere around $8 million after performing work on behalf of the county, Downes said, but the additional money for that project will come back to the city.
Downes estimated about 50% of the project is done and said the plan is to “substantially complete” by the end of 2021.
