Highway 181 Widening Project

by Pat Peterson

Published: Mon, August 17, 2009 - 3:57 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, August 17, 2009 - 6:49 pm CST

Roy Simms opened this hardware store on Highway 181 back in the 1930's. Simms says the road has changed a lot since the Great Depression.

"The road was dirt. There were only three or four cars a day that used it," says Simms. "Traffic is bad now. They gotta wait maybe a quarter mile or more up the road to make this light."

Simms says it's about time the Alabama Department of Transportation started widening 181. The car clogged, two lane road will soon become a major, four lane highway, connecting Interestate Ten to Highway 98.

But not everyone is excited about the widening project. Many homeowners who live on 181 say the new road will be just a little too close for comfort.

"I know it's something that has to be done, but it's just something we have to deal with," says Jamie Reed who lives on 181. The new highway will be located just a few feet from her garage. "Safety is my main concern because we have children so being this close to a major highway is a big concern.

The four-lane highway, which will also serve as a more efficient hurricane evacuation route, also have some business owners concerned. One strip mall located just south of County Road 64 lost its parking lot to the new project. The new road will be just feet from the front doors of many businesses.

The 125 million dollar widening project will take about six years to finish.

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