By By Lisa Tindell – news writer
Residents along Woods Road near Atmore will soon have two reasons to take it slow as they travel to and from their homes.
The Escambia County Commission agreed Monday to reduce the speed limit on Woods Road to 35 mph and set May 7 as the date for repair work to begin on the damaged road.
Woods Road has suffered some damage as a result of excessive traffic by a number of large trucks owned by Viking Industries traveling the road, officials have said.
Viking Industries owner Don Ellistead said his company has worked on a deal with area landowners to create a by-pass for the company to use in order to eliminate further damage to the road.
Bridges asked Ellistead if he thought the work on the alternate route could be completed within two weeks.
Also during Monday's meeting, the commission agreed to proceed with a Community Development Block Grant application through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.
The commission was torn between applying for a grant to include road projects and a grant for water system improvements.
County Administrator Tony Sanks said there is no guarantee that either grant would be approved.
Larry White, commissioner for District 3, said he thought the road project would be the best application to make.
The water projects targeted for the coming year include the Freemanville and Canoe Water Systems. In a previous meeting, commissioners said the two systems both are in need of improvements. Those systems fall in the District 4 and District 5 areas that are served by Bill Brown and Wiley Tait, respectively.
White made a motion that the commission apply for a road projects grant with ADECCA with Bill Brown seconding the motion.
The commission has a May 15 deadline to make application with ADECCA on any grant proposal.
In other business, the commission