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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – The Shelby County Commission approved two resurfacing project agreements for U.S. Highway 31 and awarded a bid for the paving and resurfacing of several roads in east Shelby County during a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, March 11.

During the meeting, the Commission awarded a bid for the paving and resurfacing of east Shelby County to the lowest bidder, Dunn Construction Company Inc, in the amount of $3,791,416.70.

Each year, the county creates the Shelby County Annual Resurfacing Contract with the goal of providing $5-6 million in resurfacing improvements to existing roadways. The county creates a list of all the candidates for improvements and then selects those in the worst condition for resurfacing and paving.

This year, the county changed its approach and split the resurfacing into two separate packages with one for the east and one for the west side of the Shelby County.

“We may get two different contractors who can pursue the work simultaneously,” County Engineer David Willingham said. “We may see a savings in cost based on geographic location—someone may be able to better serve the eastern part of the county and a different contractor may be able to serve the western part of the county. So, that was our thinking in it and we’re happy with the bids. Our costs are very close to what they were last year.”

Work on the eastern portion of the paving and resurfacing is expected to begin in April or May and the bid for the western side will be released on March 21.

The following roads are included in the resurfacing contract for the east and will paid for by Shelby County:

• County Road 362 (Belcher Road)
• Mountain Top Road
• County Road 55
• Beacon Drive
• County Road 43 (Patching)
• Hunters Lane
• County Road 497
• County Road 451
• Glynn Hollow Circle
• County Road 74
• Ray Building Parking Lot

The following are included in the resurfacing contract for the east and will paid for by the town of Harpersville:

• Water Oak Way
• Lake View Circle
• Harpersville Police Department parking lot
• Sunnydale Lane
• Ploughman’s Circle
• Tanyard Road
• Kelley Hill Lane

The following are included in the resurfacing contract for the east and will paid for by the town of Wilsonville:

• School Street
• North Main Street

The Shelby County Commission also approved an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation, ALDOT, for the resurfacing of U.S. Hwy 31 from the southern bridge end of the Interstate 65 overpass, Exit 231, to Fulton Lake Road. The Commission also approved an agreement with ALDOT for the resurfacing of U.S. Hwy 31 from Fulton Lake Road to Exit 238 of the I-65 overpass.

“Those are completely ALDOT-funded projects,” Willingham said. “Anytime ALDOT does a project in a city or county, they will do what is commonly called a municipal agreement, saying that you agree with the project and you’ll cooperate and that we don’t do anything that is contradictory to ALDOT and Federal Highway Administration requirements.”

The Shelby County Commission approved a resolution awarding Fire Services Equipment bid to the lowest responsive bidder for multiple items.

“These are the items that we bid through EMA every day that allow our volunteer fire departments and others to be able to purchase collectively off this particular bid with some of funding that is provided by the Community Health Foundation,” County Manager Chad Scroggins said.

In other news, the Shelby County Commission approved the following items on the agenda:

• The awarding of bids to the lowest responsive vendor per line item for Automated External Defibrillators
• The awarding of RFP for Utility Management Software for water services to Sprypoint.
• The awarding of a bid for Ground Penetration Radar locating equipment to Consolidated Pipe and Supply Company Inc, in the amount of $29,215.
• The appointment of directors of The Dunnavant Square Improvement District, including William L. Thornton, III, Lauren Thornton Jameson and Naseem Ailouny
• The vacation of a public easement for Tristone Properties, LLC