DOTHAN, Ala. – Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba admits he’s made a few jokes about orange construction barrels. “That doesn’t mean I don’t take very, very seriously the businesses that are affected by the construction work,” Saliba recently told WTVY.
He’s referring to multiple road improvement projects, either under construction or planned for busy highways.
That work makes it challenging for customers to access merchants. Less customers mean less profits and also negatively affects the city. “Retailers and restaurants are very important to this city and are very important to sales tax revenues.” the mayor said.
He promises to do a better job of communicating about construction project progress.
The road work, when complete, will improve traffic control and make highways safer. Montgomery Highway has significantly reduced the number of accidents since its completion.
Here is a list of current projects and their status:
Ross Clark Circle from Bauman Drive to south of West Main Street: Complete, except for sodding work. The road, with limited crossovers, is now 6-lane from Fortner Street to just south of West Main.
Ross Clark Circle from south of West Main Street to Choctaw Street: Project includes a few blocks of West Main Street from Englewood Avenue to Bel-Air Drive. Completion projected in late 2021 or early 2022. The highways will also have 6-lanes and access management (less crossovers).
Ross Clark Circle from Choctaw Street to North Cherokee Avenue, including the busy Montgomery Highway intersection: Bids could be let by the end of 2021 and work potentially completed by late 2024.
West Main Street from Flowers Chapel Road to John D. Odom Road: This final project would increase from two to three the number of westbound lanes of U.S. 84. The Woodburn Drive intersection would also undergo significant modifications. That project is still on the drawing board, though work could be completed in late 2022 or 2023.
The Ross Clark Circle construction projects are financed, in part, by money that had been earmarked for an interstate connector. Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) funds are paying much of the Main Street project costs.
Combined costs are about $100 million.
