By AMY JONES / Associate Editor

GREYSTONE — The Alabama Department of Transportation is looking to help reduce traffic congestion at the intersection of two of Shelby County’s busiest roads.

At a public involvement open house meeting Feb. 28, ALDOT introduced changes to be made to the intersection of U.S. 280 and Alabama 119.

According to an ALDOT statement, changes include re-striping U.S. 280 to accommodate double left turns in both directions. Those improvements would require widening Alabama 119 to accommodate double left turn lanes and two through lanes in both directions.

That widening would extend about 1 mile along Alabama 119 between Corporate Drive and Brook Highland Parkway.

ALDOT Preconstruction Engineer Lance Taylor said the open house was the first step in the process of improving the U.S. 280 and Alabama 119 intersection, and ALDOT will collect any feedback from residents to see if changes need to be made to the current plan.

ALDOT is hoping to let bids on the project in fall 2013, he said.

At the same open house meeting, ALDOT showed updated drawings of proposed changes to be made to U.S. 280, which will affect 26 intersections between Hollywood Boulevard and Hugh Daniel Drive. Plans for those changes were updated after feedback from the public at a November 2012 public involvement meeting, Taylor said.

Changes in Shelby County included the addition of a northbound right turn lane to Meadow Brook Road, Taylor said.

ALDOT plans to let bids for the U.S. 280 intersection changes in April, he said.

“We’re just showing people the changes that we’ve made. If nothing arises, we’ll move forward,” he said.