Portion of Dauphin Street to undergo complete overhaul

Work is expected to begin in February from North Main Street to where the road "y's" at Shellfield Road, which is about a half mile.

Engineer Tim Ramsden, with CDG Engineering, said the work would be completed block by block and will include the road's resurfacing, as well as an upgraded water drainage system and replacing utilities such a water and gas lines.

"We're going to replace everything in that street including all the utilities," Ramsden said. "So from right-of-way to right-of-way, we'll be making improvements."

Boswell said the area is prone to flooding when heavy rains stress the insufficient drainage system. The drainage issues were a driving force in seeing through this project's completion, he said.

"You have a lot of storm drainage coming from the Sessions plant. It comes down Alberta. It comes down Dauphin," Ramsden said. "Right now I think there is three storm drainage units on the whole road in this section. We anticipate that there will be about 14 storm drainage units ... to alleviate the problems that you have."

Ramsden said the Alabama Department of Transportation wants the projects to begin as soon as possible.

"It's been aggressive to get the project, and it's going to be aggressive to actually get it into construction," Ramsden said, adding that ALDOT is requesting plans to be submitted by the end of September for approval by December.

The work, he said, should be completed in about 120 days, or about six to seven months depending on weather.

The project is being funded through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation Improvement Program, a state stimulus from the office of Gov. Robert Bentley.

During the first of three rounds of fund disbursements, 105 road and bridge projects throughout Alabama were approved, including the Dauphin Street project.

Boswell said the city aggressively pursued the funds to see that the project was completed, and will continue to aggressively pursue the second round of funding to finish the two connector streets leading to Boll Weevil Circle.

"Unfortunately we're not able, because of money constraints, to do it all at one time," Boswell said.

The resurfacing project will cost about $1.8 million, of which the city will be responsible for about 20 percent of the cost. The city will also be responsible for relocating the utilities, which will cost about $690,000 for water and sewer lines and about $120,000 for gas lines.

Before the project begins, Boswell said he plans to invite residents along that road to city hall to provide a detailed schedule and inform them of what will be happening along their street.

A seven-mile stretch of Coffee County Road 606 has also been approved for ATRIP funds for resurfacing, which will cost about $1.3 million with the county providing 20 percent of the funds.