In its regular meeting Oct. 4, the Russellville City Council authorized the mayor to enter into an agreement with ALDOT for Project No. TAPAA-TA22(907) – streetscape improvements along Limestone Street, Jackson Avenue and Montgomery Street.

“Downtown is the heartbeat of every community,” said Mayor David Grissom, “and infrastructure improvements are important for our downtown district. This is a Transportation Alternatives Program Project that includes streetscape improvements – new sidewalks and lighting – along Limestone Street, Jackson Avenue and Montgomery Street.”

The total project, Grissom said, is $699,837.50. “This is our third ALDOT TAP project to be approved for the downtown historic district.”

The project manager will be Brad Williams, an engineer with Civil Group. Civil Group has worked on previous downtown TAP projects with similar scopes.

The project will be built entirely within the right-of-way owned and maintained by the City of Russellville.

Grissom said the project is a continuation of the Russellville Downtown Redevelopment Plan that was adopted in May 2017. The plan lists improving streetscapes through downtown as an objective. This includes “additional landscaping and street trees, accessibility for people with disabilities, accommodations for parking and amenities for visitors, including street furniture for disposal of refuse and to allow places to sit and enjoy the downtown environment.”

Traffic calming is intended to create a safe space for pedestrians, including narrower streets, well-marked crosswalks, bump-outs and added traffic signals and stop signs. This project will continue to assist Russellville in meeting this objective.

The application lists plans for construction, planning and design of on-road and off-road trail facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized forms of transportation, including sidewalks, bicycle infrastructure, pedestrian and bicycle signals, traffic calming techniques, lighting and other safety-related infrastructure and transportation projects to achieve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Additional plans include the construction of ramps, landings, lighting and new sidewalks along portions of Limestone Street, from Washington Avenue to Coffee Avenue; Jackson Avenue, from Limestone Street to Cotaco Street; and Montgomery Street, from Jackson Avenue to Coffee Avenue.

The project area serves as a principal pedestrian corridor from the downtown central business district to the residences surrounding downtown. It will also connect with previously completed projects along Jackson Avenue, Franklin Street, Lawrence Street, Lauderdale Street, Madison Street and Coffee Avenue.

The city has stated expectations for the project to have a “tremendous impact” on the mobility of the corridor for the residents of Russellville, improving the pedestrian access of residents and visitors who visit the central business district and the surrounding residences.

The council also authorized the mayor to sign the Pre-Application SF-424 for federal assistance for the Russellville Municipal Airport. This is a parallel tax delay application.

• Federal: $315,000
• State: $17,500
• City of Russellville: $17,500
• Total: $350,000

The next regular meeting of the Russellville City Council will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 at City Hall.