As the Alabama Department of Transportation prepares to tackle some of the worst traffic in the Birmingham area, many environmental experts warn that the new construction project could adversely impact the city’s drinking water.

If you’ve spent any time in Birmingham, then chances are you are familiar with the traffic nightmares of Highway 280. Morning or night, the odds are pretty high that you’ll become the victim of a traffic jam that is more akin to a discombobulated jigsaw puzzle than an orderly flow of vehicles. With that said, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a proposed solution to fix 280 might cause other problems.

ALDOT has proposed the construction of an entirely new road between 280 and Sicard Hollow Road. However, according to the Cahaba River Society, the new project jeopardizes the area’s potable water supply.

Few dispute that the new road would bring much-needed congestion relief, the group just believes it would come at too great of a coast. In a statement to ABC 33/40, Executive Director of the Cahaba River Society Beth Stewart said, “We’ve said, ALDOT – you need to study the cumulative impacts and everything that would be brought on by the  road, and how all of that would affect the Little Cahaba River and our drinking water.”

Current plans show the road running through protected land that was purchased with Birmingham Water Works ratepayer money. Many fear that a significant environmental change in that area would negatively impact drinking by removing nature’s natural filtering system.

Along with options to build the new road, ALDOT is also considering a “no build” alternative. The Cahaba River Society is advocating for the “no build” plan until a complete environmental survey can be conducted.