Updated Dec. 12, 2023, at 6:01 p.m.
CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman City Council on Monday approved an emergency bid for reclamation and repaving of St. Joseph Drive Northwest, starting from Scott Street Northwest and Dripping Springs Road area and going north to Alabama Highway 157. Work was set to begin Tuesday morning, Dec. 12. According to City Engineer Erica York, the repairs were to start after morning school traffic passed.
Councilman Johnny Cook told the council that the base under the road has deteriorated substantially, requiring reclamation of the road base before repaving.
York explained, “The full reclamation will be base repair. We’re going to do a whole 8 inches of base repair before we actually pave, so that way, hopefully, we’ll have a lot longer lasting pavement than we did this last time around.”
The crew will work on 2,000 feet of road at a time, on both the north- and southbound lanes. Residents with driveways on St. Joseph will still be able to get in and out, with delays of no more than five minutes if machinery happens to be in front of a particular driveway at a given time.
York told The Tribune, “It’ll be open to local traffic. Everybody will be able to get to and from their homes. We’re just going to have it closed to through traffic.”
Cook said that cars will be able to safely navigate the street, as the materials being used are dry, and will not result in tar residue on vehicles.
York estimated that the reclamation and first layer of paving could be completed as early as Friday, Dec. 22.
