The city of Trussville in east Jefferson County is growing quickly – by just about every measure. That is a good thing – except, of course, for traffic.
Trussville’s main thoroughfare, U.S. Highway 11, which also runs right through downtown, handles the vast majority of traffic.
Although there is an approved ALDOT plan to widen U.S. 11 from the Interstate 459/59 interchange to the outer edge of downtown Trussville, the federal funding is not in place, said Trussville Mayor Buddy Choat. The city has already acquired right-of-way, he said.
“As we continue to grow, that interchange backs up to the point where it becomes a parking lot,” Choat said.
State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville) said the interchange is a pressing issue.
“There is a desperate need for one or two more lanes on either side of U.S. 11 to handle the traffic,” he outlined. “The economy is good. There are more trucks on the road, houses are going up, we have some new schools, new school buses, and there is a lot of new commercial and residential development. We are hoping to get some time knocked off everyone’s commute. We don’t have enough road for the demand.”
Meanwhile, the city is embarking on some projects that should, for now, help take some of the traffic off of U.S. 11 and other areas, as well as develop Trussville’s downtown into an entertainment district; and plan how best to handle future growth.
Details include:
• The city should complete this summer a $4.2 million project that extends Valley Road to the Pinnacle shopping center on U.S. 11, to provide another entrance into the shopping center for residents as well as motorists who see the shopping center off I-59 but do not know how to get to it.
“This will be a great addition for us, and should spur development in the Valley Road area,” said Diane Poole, executive director of the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce.
The road will be parallel to I-59, and signage will direct travelers to the route.
• Over the next several months, the city plans to build two connecting loops to Highway 11 downtown, one by Edgar’s Bakery and one by Waterson Parkway, which will include stoplights. The loops should help relieve congestion in the main downtown intersection and bypass the main intersection, officials said. This will be very beneficial to the new downtown district, officials say, especially as they attempt to create more pedestrian-friendly areas.
• Trussville’s new entertainment district is expected to get under way this summer. It includes sidewalks and other beautification, a stage pavilion, park, brewery, a pedestrian-friendly area and more than a dozen restaurants and other retail. The city purchased a former furniture store to tear down for the redevelopment.
• This month, Choat announced a new initiative, Trussville 2040, that will focus on several areas – education, roads and transportation, public safety and other community needs. Citizens can sign up online for committees to help develop the plan at a special website set up by the city.
“Our leaders are very aware of the safety concerns here, and they have a handle on what needs to be done and are addressing those issues,” Poole said. “The city has hired more police, and added firefighters and paramedics to address our growth.”
Theresa Howard, co-owner with Layne Ross of The Straw Hat, a women’s apparel shop downtown on U.S. 11, said she is keeping up with what the new district will mean for businesses. For now, she said, the traffic has actually helped her business.
“We have cute windows to display our clothes items, and people stopped in traffic downtown look in our windows and call us about buying it,” Howard said. “We are waiting to see what a pedestrian district here will do for our business.”
Lori Chandler Pruitt is a journalist whose contribution is made possible by a grant from the Alabama Alliance for Infrastructure
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