One of Jemison’s main thoroughfares should undergo much-needed repairs starting the end of May.

County Road 42 is still scheduled to be let out for contract the last week of May, according to Jemison administrative assistant Shannon Welch.

The resurfacing project is a state approved project.

Although there was a slight delay with the city having to replace a culvert near a portion of County Road 42 that resulted in the city acquiring some property around the culvert, Welch said everything should still be on schedule for the end of May.

“We had a little bit of a delay because we found out the city was going to have to purchase some property around the culvert, but I don’t think that is going to delay the project,” Welch said.

If for some reason the project was delayed in May, the next scheduled “letting” for contract would be the last Tuesday in June.

“This road is something that has caused a lot of concern for people,” Welch said.

The city’s match will be roughly $200,000 for the project, which is expected to cost roughly $1.5 million.

Many residents have expressed concern to city officials thinking the city is responsible for the upkeep of the road, but there has been little the city could do since it is a state project.

Although a detour schedule for motorists has not been released, Welch said he foresees County Road 71 and County Road 44 being used as detour routes.

“I’m sure the state will let us know what the detour routes will be,” Welch said.

The resurfacing project is covered under a $1 billion project known as Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP).

Originally, Chilton County entered the ATRIP program with three projects in Phase 1 approved.

During the Dec. 10, 2012, Chilton County Commission meeting, commissioners voted to participate in the Rural Assistance Match Program (RAMP) where counties and cities are eligible to receive as much as $1 million in state funds to match an additional $4 million in federal funds.

RAMP allows Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to sell bonds to provide the local match for participating counties and cities.

Counties taking part in RAMP previously had no projects, or only limited projects, as part of ATRIP due to limited local funds.

RAMP did not require the matching funds the county would have had to come up with under ATRIP.

RAMP allows additional counties to take part in Gov. Robert Bentley’s statewide road improvement initiative of ATRIP.

All 67 Alabama counties have now received ATRIP projects since Bentley established the program in 2012.

In March, the city of Jemison received a letter from ALDOT saying the contractor working the County Road 42 resurfacing would be allowed 90 working days to complete the project.