Fairhope, Alabama
"STICKER SHOCK" TO BLAME
At its quarterly meeting last week, the Eastern Shore MPO Policy Board unanimously approved additional funding for the adaptive traffic signal project (click) along Highway 98 from Spanish Fort to Fairhope -- and the date the system is to go live and bring relief to traffic congestion pushed back to "about nine months to a year from now."
(A metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is a federally mandated and federally funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities.)
Originally, "late 2016" was the projected completion date.
After bids were solicited twice for the project last Summer, there was only one response from Bagby and Russell Electric Company and that was $820K over the estimated cost: the deficit is to be made up by $760K additional MPO funds plus a $160K match split between ALDOT and Baldwin county ($80K each).
Higher than expected 'CE and I' (construction engineering and inspection) and administrative cost over ALDOT's estimates were blamed for the over-run; ALDOT's representative Vince Calametti said individual components of the overrun were reviewed and found to be reasonable in this case.
Rather than delaying the project any longer by rejecting the bid and seeking new ones, it was decided to move forward, pay the extra and "try to do better vetting" next time.
When fully operational, control of the 28 separate traffic signals will be from a central location (ALDOT's tunnel station) to facilitate smoother traffic flow (adapt to current road conditions): wait times on side streets may increase somewhat but overall travel time should decrease after the system is "tweaked in."
(Adaptive traffic control is a traffic management strategy in whichtraffic signal timing changes, or adapts, based on actual traffic demand.)
OTHER MATTERS
Also, the board voted to add the following to its visionary list (a wish list, no funding source identified):
* A sidewalk along CR 1 south of Mullet Point
* A roundabout at the CR13/CR44 intersection
* New sidewalks in Spanish Fort
I -10 / HWY 181 INTERCHANGE PROGRESS REPORT
The divergent diamond interchange proposed for the HWY 181 at Interstate 10 could be installed as early as next April, according to Calametti, but prior to opening there would need to be a public education program about its operation.
Existing traffic signals will remain but traffic flow will switch sides on the bridge to facilitate smoother left turns and reduce accidents.
GULF SHORES STUDENTS PARTICIPATE
A class of Gulf Shores High School juniors on a field trip to observe county government in action asked a few questions at the end of the meeting.
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| U.S 98 in Daphne, looking south |
"STICKER SHOCK" TO BLAME
At its quarterly meeting last week, the Eastern Shore MPO Policy Board unanimously approved additional funding for the adaptive traffic signal project (click) along Highway 98 from Spanish Fort to Fairhope -- and the date the system is to go live and bring relief to traffic congestion pushed back to "about nine months to a year from now."
(A metropolitan planning organization (MPO) is a federally mandated and federally funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities.)
Originally, "late 2016" was the projected completion date.
 |
| MPO Policy Board |
After bids were solicited twice for the project last Summer, there was only one response from Bagby and Russell Electric Company and that was $820K over the estimated cost: the deficit is to be made up by $760K additional MPO funds plus a $160K match split between ALDOT and Baldwin county ($80K each).
Higher than expected 'CE and I' (construction engineering and inspection) and administrative cost over ALDOT's estimates were blamed for the over-run; ALDOT's representative Vince Calametti said individual components of the overrun were reviewed and found to be reasonable in this case.
Rather than delaying the project any longer by rejecting the bid and seeking new ones, it was decided to move forward, pay the extra and "try to do better vetting" next time.
When fully operational, control of the 28 separate traffic signals will be from a central location (ALDOT's tunnel station) to facilitate smoother traffic flow (adapt to current road conditions): wait times on side streets may increase somewhat but overall travel time should decrease after the system is "tweaked in."
(Adaptive traffic control is a traffic management strategy in whichtraffic signal timing changes, or adapts, based on actual traffic demand.)
OTHER MATTERS
Also, the board voted to add the following to its visionary list (a wish list, no funding source identified):
* A sidewalk along CR 1 south of Mullet Point
* A roundabout at the CR13/CR44 intersection
* New sidewalks in Spanish Fort
I -10 / HWY 181 INTERCHANGE PROGRESS REPORT
The divergent diamond interchange proposed for the HWY 181 at Interstate 10 could be installed as early as next April, according to Calametti, but prior to opening there would need to be a public education program about its operation.
Existing traffic signals will remain but traffic flow will switch sides on the bridge to facilitate smoother left turns and reduce accidents.
 |
| divergent diamond interchange |
GULF SHORES STUDENTS PARTICIPATE
A class of Gulf Shores High School juniors on a field trip to observe county government in action asked a few questions at the end of the meeting.
Comments
The first traffic study (for US 98) was done before CR13 opened, the second after, hence the decrease.
Total traffic still increased over time.
Some form of alternative transport is the real solution ... but this being backward Alabama ... that will never be considered ... until it is too late.
Pay attention please, if that is possible.