Meeting planned on proposed traffic changes to Southside bridge

The Alabama Department of Transportation will be scheduling a public hearing soon to receive public input on improving traffic flow around the old Southside bridge.  Officials are hoping the meeting can be held next month.

Officials will be seeking Input on a proposed plan to make westbound traffic on the bridge two lane rather than one lane to relieve congestion. At the meeting, ALDOT will be able to present its models showing how traffic would be affected.  The proposal includes a redesign to create two lanes across the bridge. The bottleneck is created when traffic on Alabama Highway 77 goes from two lanes to one and then back to two. The proposal calls for the highway to be changed to two lanes in Southside, and continue that way through the traffic light at the Fowlers Ferry Road intersection, across the bridge and on the north side of the bridge.