By Staff
Four-laning of highway needed
Brewton area residents have a great opportunity to help shape the future of our community.
The Alabama Department of Transportation wants to hear our comments about what needs to be done to improve Alabama Highway 41.
At a public meeting Thursday night, ALDOT officials provided comment forms for residents to tell them what they want - whether it's four-laning, realignment or a bypass.
ALDOT officials say they take those public comments seriously, although what we want won't match exactly with what is possible, based on the environmental, engineering and other studies ALDOT will have to make to ensure the project is sound.
We cannot overemphasize how important four-laning Alabama 41 is for Brewton's future. Companies looking to relocate want access to the interstate - and a bypass around Brewton that would allow truck traffic to pass quickly to the industrial park makes the most sense, from our standpoint.
Not only do we need the access from an economic development standpoint, we also need better access for hurricane evacuation traffic from Florida.
Even if you didn't attend Thursday's meeting, you can still make comments to the Alabama Department of Transportation. You can fax them to (251) 478-1109 or e-mail them to hammamis@dot.state.al.us.
Residents have 10 business days from Thursday's meeting to address the issue, so please get your comments in by Monday, Aug. 28.
If you want to plan for Brewton's future, let the folks in Montgomery know that you support widening Alabama Highway 41.
Four-laning is certainly not a project that is going to happen overnight, but if we don't start moving towards four-lane access to the interstate, we jeopardize our future economic development prospects.