CHELSEA – A problematic cut-off route in Chelsea soon will be effectively closed to traffic.

The Chelsea City Council at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 4, approved the low bid of $24,850 to permanently close the railroad crossing on Shelby County 377.

The road has been used as a shortcut from Shelby County 11 to Shelby County 280 (Old Hwy. 280), avoiding the busy intersection of the two roads, but 377 is narrow and winding, at least one motorist has been killed at the railroad crossing, and a large number of drivers trying to use the road during times of heavy traffic creates more problems.

The closure of the railroad crossing will make it impossible to travel from Shelby County 11 to Shelby County 280 via 377.

The low bid was submitted by Powell Builders Inc.

CSX, which operates the railway, the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Shelby County School Board of Education were all in favor of the closure, Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer said, with CSX and ALDOT even helping with funding for the measure.

In other business, the Council:

• Approved increasing the city’s lodging tax from 2 percent to 6 percent. Picklesimer said the measure was intended to bring Chelsea’s lodging tax more in line with other municipalities in the area, including Alabaster at 6 percent, Birmingham at 6.5 percent, Harpersville at 8 percent and Pelham at 6 percent.
• Heard Picklesimer read a letter from a Chelsea resident thanking the city’s fire department and others for helping save his life after a recent heart attack.
• Heard from Chelsea Fire Department Chief Wayne Shirley about a recent incident where a family was taking an infant to the hospital, when the 3-month-old child became unresponsive as they passed through Chelsea. They stopped at CFD, and personnel were able to revive the child as they carried him to Grandview Medical Center. The infant has since been stabilized and is expected to recover.
• Heard proclamations of Sept. 24 as Family Day, the week of Sept. 23-29 as Family Week, and Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week.
• Approved the annexation of a parcel located at 4059 Forest Lakes Road, Sterrett.
• Authorized the purchase of BadgePass for the Chelsea Community Center.
• Heard about several upcoming events including Boopalooza sponsored by Morningstar United Methodist Church at Tractor Supply from 4-7 p.m. on Oct. 27, Kids Craft Day at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 at Chelsea Historical Museum, National Night Out on Oct. 2 at the Chelsea Walmart.
• Heard that a public input meeting will be held following the Sept. 18 meeting of the Chelsea City Council, at which residents will have an opportunity to share their thoughts about a proposed overlay district for the U.S. 280 corridor in Chelsea.