SPANISH FORT, Ala. (WKRG) — Piles of gravel and dirt now fill a parking lot staging area behind the Eastern Shore Centre as crews begin a $3.9 million road project in Spanish Fort that officially started Wednesday.

“We’re able to completely take it down to the core, start it all over, rebuild it and not use city funds,” said Spanish Fort Mayor Mike McMillan who updated us on the project this week.

Eastern Shore Blvd has plagued drivers at almost every inch of their commute for several years. Potholes and uneven asphalt make it anything but smooth, causing tire blowouts and creating costly problems.

“I drove through here one night and it was raining, it was very dark and it popped my front tire and knocked my car out of alignment. It cost me about $300 to get it fixed,” said Jennifer Jeter who spoke to us earlier this year.

Broken street lights will also be repaired. It’s a private road so Mayor McMillan says no city funds will be used on the project. Crews will start work on the Highway 31 side of Eastern Shore Blvd first, then work their way towards the Highway 181 entrance with road work happening on that stretch during night hours, keeping a lane of traffic open in both directions throughout the entire project.

McMillan says his office has received numerous calls from drivers concerned about the road’s condition over the years. He’s glad work is finally starting.

“While it’s not a City of Spanish Fort problem, it is a City of Spanish Fort problem. We need to address all of our citizen’s concerns and that’s what we’re able to do,” he explained.

The entire project is expected to take several months to complete. Mayor McMillan anticipates work to wrap up before the end of the year.