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By MICHELLE LOVE | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Pelham City Council approved a funding agreement between multiple Shelby County cities and the Alabama Department of Transportation for the Hwy 261 Widening Project at its meeting Monday night, Jan. 24.

The agreement is between the cities of Pelham, Helena, Hoover and the Shelby County Commission to widen Hwy 261.

“We are pleased this project is moving forward, and we are proud of the city leadership for having the vision to see this project through and ensuring it’s fully funded,” said Ainsley Allison, the communications manager for the city of Pelham.

According to Allison, the communications manager for Pelham, ALDOT hosted a public meeting last summer to get input from residents and other stakeholders regarding the priority of the widening project, and ultimately, it decided to move forward with the project.

The total price tag for the project is $40 million. ALDOT will fund half, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, which manages all local transportation projects, will contribute $10.8 million and the Regional Planning Commission will contribute $6.5 million. That leaves all involved cities and Shelby County each with a local match of $675,000.

Ainsley said right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation will take place over the next year. No official construction timeline has been set at this point.