DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — Monday night marked the first time in six years that all the lights on the Hudson Memorial “Steamboat Bill’ Bridge were on and operational.
The previous dark travel conditions have led to citizens’ complaints and safety concerns along the city of Decatur’s busiest corridor.
“Especially when you’re coming into the city, there’s some dark patches around the curves, and it’s great that they are all LED lights and that they are up and going,” said Dane Shaw, Director of Development for the city. “We’re excited that it’s finally a project that’s coming to an end, and we can start something new.”
According to Shaw, a study by city engineers found multiple issues, including damaged cables and underground harnesses, including rodents chewing on components.
Decatur Utilities then stopped working to upkeep the lights after a serious accident injured four Decatur Utilities workers in the year 2020.
“We have pest control now that’s actually making sure that doesn’t happen again because the rats actually sharpen their teeth on wire, and so they secured that, and we won’t see that happen again,” Shaw explained.
The city of Decatur secured $800,000 in federal funds for the project, with an additional $200,000 from the city to complete the repair.
“We asked ALDOT if they would fix this since it’s a state road, and they said basically no because it wasn’t in their budget, and so the city has moved forward on doing that,” said Jacob Ladner, city council president.
Shaw told News 19 that the repairs to the bridge lights are the first phase of the multi-million-dollar Sixth Avenue Streetscape project that will ease traffic flow and beautify the entrance into the city.
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