FAIRHOPE – With growth expected to continue in the area, Fairhope officials are planning improvements to make the intersection of Twin Beech Road and Boothe Road safer for vehicles and pedestrians.
Mayor Sherry Sullivan said at the Monday, Jan. 25 City Council meeting that a reduced speed limit, new crosswalks and additional sidewalks are among the recommendations made by a committee set up to study the site.
“What we recommended was that the speed limit be reduced from 45 to 35, from Highway 98 to 13,” Sullivan said. She said other recommendations included extending the sidewalk 100 feet on the southeast corner of the intersection across Boothe and across Twin Beech. Twin Beech Road is also designated Baldwin County 44.
“So you would create a more pedestrian-friendly space there,” she said. “You would slow the speed limit down. Hopefully, they’ll be going 45 instead of 55, since it’s 35, I think that’s the rule of thumb. Also again extending that sidewalk to let people cross safely.”
She told members of the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization on Wednesday that more traffic is expected in the area in the future.
“Now that there is a Dollar General at that intersection there is a lot more pedestrian traffic just kids wanting to go to Dollar General from the neighborhoods and there are at least four more developments that are planned on that road, so this is going to be a very busy intersection,” Sullivan said.
Council President Jack Burrell said the intersection’s location near Fairhope High School is another reason that improvements are needed.
“One of the reasons this intersection is so important to the city of Fairhope is that it is very close to our high school,” Burrell said. “It is just east of our high school and has a large volume of not only automobile traffic, but pedestrian traffic and it is a very dangerous intersection.”
Burrell said the Fairhope City Council could approve a resolution to make the improvements at its next meeting on Feb. 11.
City officials said most of the changes would not be expensive. The concrete for 100 feet of sidewalk would cost about $1,500 and the work would be done by city crews, Sullivan said.
Burrell asked the MPO to consider funding for a study of the site.
“We're not looking for funding of widening, traffic signalization or any of that yet, but maybe just to study what is the best thing to do at this intersection because it impacts so many lives there,” he said.
Sullivan said that as the area grows, improvements such as traffic lights and pedestrian crossing signals, are expected to be needed.
