Road equipment purchases underway

“We’ve already received the excavator,” said Sitton. “It’s not complete. We’re going to have a nice bucket on there that twists and turns and allows you to dig at all kinds of [angles], but it’s not in yet. They put a plain bucket on that we’re going to use in the meantime. The other will be here in a couple months.

In addition to the excavator, the county has purchased four other pieces of equipment.

“We’ve already got the smooth drum roller, the herbicide truck – we’re determining which chassis [for the truck],” said Sitton. “All those were within budget.

“The asphalt hot box trailer, we’ve got it on bid incoming. The pothole patcher truck, we’ve got it on bid incoming.”

Sitton and his department have yet to purchase the ride-on broom. They want to determine the best method of acquiring it.

“We’re trying to figure out if we’re going to put that one out for bid,” said Sitton. “We’re trying to figure out the best way to get [the one] we want.”

The boom mower will be the final acquisition. Sitton plans to buy it after the other equipment deals are complete to ensure the department stays under budget. 

“We’re waiting,” said Sitton. “It’ll be the last thing we purchase. We’re going to wait and see how the money goes and see if anything goes over budget.”

The department will put the excavator to work immediately on their new Rebuild Alabama project. The work encompasses an approximate six mile stretch along County Road 217.

“We’re really looking at from [County Road] 214 all the way to Highway 20,” said Sitton. “We’re going to start at Highway 20 and run until the money goes out.”

The work will include replacing around 15 cross drains.

“This is going to be painful for the citizens,” said Sitton. “Those cross drains – some of them are deep. It will require closing the road down 15 different times over the next couple months.”

Sitton hopes most of the road closures will require only short delays. The project will total approximately $1.16 million.  

During Sitton’s Rebuild Alabama Annual Report, he revealed that the road department completed approximately $2 million in projects in fiscal year 2022; the report only contained data up to October of last year. 

“We really did a lot of work,” said Sitton. “We’re very proud of that.

“It was a lot with the federal aid projects, so it is more than we can do every year. But it was a really, really good year for projects.”

The department will soon commence work on County Road 6, which leads to the Sipsey Wilderness. The Federal Land Access Program is providing $405,000 dollars for the project. The county has to match $100,000. The total project cost is $505,000.

“It is a very highly traveled road,” said Sitton. “In the end it will receive new asphalt surface treatment with new shoulders and striping.” 

In other business, the commission approved Commissioner Nathan Kitchens request for an AED device at Veterans Memorial Park in Trinity. 

An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a portable medical device used to help someone suffering from cardiac arrest. AEDs gained national attention when one helped save Damar Hamlin’s life during Monday Night Football on January 2. Hamlin, a safety for the Buffalo Bills, collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest during the game.