Construction blocking the Old Cahaba subdivision cut-through to Helena Middle School should soon be completed, said Helena building official George Pickle.

The construction is part of the Hillsboro Parkway project. Final details on the project are being finished.

“They are very close to being completed,” Pickle said. “Our intention was to have that ready by the time school opened. Obviously, it didn’t make it.”

While parents have complained about not having the cut-through available for children to walk to school, safety is far more important, Pickle said.

“I know it’s inconvenient for the homeowners, but I would rather be safe and not have something happen to some child,” he said. “At one time, the track team was running up and down through the construction site. People were using it like it was an open field, and it was a construction site.”

He said that while he understands parents’ frustration, he just wasn’t comfortable with allowing the cut-through to remain open.

“I understand their concerns and their frustrations due to the inconvenience, but the fact is I don’t feel comfortable with kids being around that construction traffic,” he said.

Pickle said once the cut-through is reopened, students would be encouraged to use it to help alleviate traffic problems.