THE YEAR AHEAD: Road, water projects planned in Clanton
Published 5:05 pm Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Like other local municipalities, what Clanton officials can accomplish in 2014 will likely be determined by how much help they have.
Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver said he’s always looking for grant money available to help with projects.
An example of grant money at work is the upgrade to the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
The project’s first phase, which included the installation of a basin to hold water pumped in from the Coosa River, has been completed.
Phase 2 will include the addition of a filter along with other work.
Driver said each phase came with a price tag of about $2 million.
Also, state funding has been approved to resurface Lake Mitchell Road from Interstate 65 to the intersection with Highway 145, though Driver is unsure when the work would begin.
The project would include widening of the bridge on Lake Mitchell Road.
Another road project that will continue in 2014 is at the intersection of state highways 31 and 22, in downtown Clanton.
Driver said the next phase of work would begin in April, and plans include the addition of a turning lane for going west on Highway 22 toward Maplesville.
“It has got to help some, especially on trucks slowing everything down,” Driver said.
As always, city officials would like to see more businesses open in Clanton.
With a Papa John’s Pizza opening recently, and work underway on a Tractor Supply Store location, Driver said he thinks momentum is being built.
“We’re making a little progress,” he said.
City workers began adding softball fields on property adjacent to City Park, but the work has been hindered lately by the weather.
“We’ve had some on-and-off weather that hasn’t let us do anything in the last two months or so,” Driver said.
The city purchased the Fred’s shopping center in 2013 and will continue to make improvements to the property this year.
Driver hopes to make one of the vacant shops a home for Chilton County Senior Connection.
Before the group could move in, the ceiling would have to be replaced and the floor re-done.
Lights in the shopping center’s parking lot have been replaced, and the lot should be re-paved soon.
Driver said Clanton will be looking for another fire truck, but the purchase will depend on whether the city can find grant money.
“We try to help ourselves all we can,” he said.