By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Crews soon will begin construction work on extending Fulton Springs Road from its current terminus at Old U.S. 31 to U.S. 31 after the Alabaster City Council voted to approve an about $1.3 million bid on the project during an Aug. 8 meeting.

Council members voted unanimously during the meeting to accept a $1.298 million bid from Chilton Contractors to construct the road extension. Dunn Construction also bid on the project, and Chilton Contractors’ bid was the lowest bid the city received.

The cost to the city will be offset by $185,000 in funding from the Alabama Department of Transportation and $120,000 in funding from the Shelby County Highway Department, meaning the city will pay about $995,000 on the project, said Mayor Marty Handlon.

The city’s Water Department is also completing about $185,000 in improvements to the area surrounding the project, said Councilman Rick Walters.

In February 2014, the Alabaster City Council voted to enter into a temporary $2.5 million line of credit with Central State Bank for “economic development purposes” on a portion of the proposed Alabaster Exchange land. The city used a portion of the money to purchase a few tracts of land on the property, which it plans to use to extend Fulton Springs Road. City officials previously said they are continuing to work to attract developers interested in constructing a retail development on the property south of the South Promenade shopping center, and said extending Fulton Springs Road through to U.S. 31 will allow easier access to the property.

Handlon said the city’s funding for constructing the roadway extension is coming from a portion of the line of credit.

“If we can go ahead and move the dirt and build that road, we can hopefully sell those parcels and increase development in that area,” Handlon said.

Drivers traveling from Fulton Springs Road to U.S. 31 currently must turn onto Old Highway 31 to access U.S. 31. Once completed, the extension project will directly connect Fulton Springs Road with U.S. 31, and will move the traffic signal from the Old Highway 31-U.S. 31 intersection to the Fulton Springs Road-U.S. 31 intersection.