ROBERTSDALE, Ala. -- Work on an Alabama Department of Transportation bridge project on College Avenue is progressing on schedule and should be completed by the first of the year, officials said at Monday night’s Robertsdale Council meeting.

Work at the site has been temporarily halted, said city engineer Greg Smith, while the curing process is completed on critical pilings.

In order to construct the pilings, a test piling was sunk to ensure the pilings will take the weight that must pass over the bridge on a daily basis.

Once testing on the piling was completed, then work began to construct the other pilings, which take about three weeks to cure, Smith said.

“The question most often asked is, ‘Why is no one out there doing any work,’” Smith said. “Essentially that’s what they’re waiting on in order to be able to complete the project. Once the pilings come in, it shouldn’t take long for them to complete the work.”

The pilings are scheduled to be delivered by Wednesday, Dec. 11, Smith said, and the project is on track for completion by the beginning of January.

The bridge, located near the lift station at Rock Creek, is being contracted by the Alabama Department of Transportation and partially funded by an Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) grant.

Construction on the project began in September and is contracted for 80 days. Estimating 20 construction days per month, the road should be closed for approximately four months, Smith said.

While the street leading up to the bridge is open for local traffic, Smith said, signs notifying motorists that the road is closed have been posted at Highway 90 and Wilters Street and are being re-routed back to Highway 59.

The bridge is one of four projects the city council voted at its Aug. 19 meeting to borrow $1.5 million to help with the improvements.

On Monday night, the council voted to accept a $450,000 Community Development Block Grant to rehabilitate damaged sewer lines. Grants totaling $1.25 million for three area water and sewer upgrades were announced by Gov. Robert Bentley in November.

Robertsdale will complete a project to insert a liner inside broken clay pipes to eliminate frequent sewage leaks. The project will rehabilitate 12,750 feet of pipe in neighborhoods near Highway 59 just south of Illinois Street. The city is contributing $45,000 toward the project.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, workforce development, water resource management and recreation development.

The council voted unanimously to pass a resolution Monday night accepting the grant. Council members also voted unanimously to pass a resolution authorizing advertisements for the grant.

In other business Monday, the council:

• Approved a request to purchase three new trucks for the city’s public works department.

• Authorized a half-day holiday on Dec. 31 for city employees.