By GINNY COOPER MCCARLEY / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA—The Shelby County Commission unanimously approved a resolution to resurface County Road 12, County Road 29 and Valleydale Road as well as replace a culvert on County Road 55 over Muddy Prong Creek.

The project is made possible through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, which is an ALDOT administered federal aid highway program that funds up to 80 percent of the construction of important roadway projects. The other 20 percent of funds comes from the county.

“We were able to secure state funding by way of local match money,” County Manager Alex Dudchock explained during the July 28 meeting.

“(ATRIP) is a Godsend for counties,” County Engineer Randy Cole noted during the meeting.

As part of the project, the county will partner with the state to resurface County Road 12, Spring Creek Road, from County Road 22 to Shelby Street in Montevallo; County Road 26 from ST-70, Columbiana, to U.S. 31, Saginaw; and County Road 17, Valleydale Road, from County Road 29, Caldwell Mill Road, to U.S. 280.

The Valleydale Road resurfacing will be done at night “due to the amount of traffic,” Cole said.

The state opened bids on the projects Thursday, July 24 and all of the responsible low bidders chosen for the projects are “vetted by way of the state,” Cole said.

The projects should be completed quickly, Cole said, noting weather would be “the only thing to keep (the road resurfacing projects) from being done before the end of the year.”