Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

The Lowndes County Commission took another step toward the construction of a Love’s Travel Stops and County Stores location at the Tyson Road (Exit 158) off Interstate 65 in the Letohatchee/Hope Hull area of the county.

In a special called meeting held Thursday, June 15, the commission voted unanimously to approve a resolution to accept the low bid of Liberty Construction Company LLC of Montgomery to construct a sewer extension to serve the Love’s Travel Stop and County Store location in the county.

The Liberty’s low bid of $218,545 was recommended to the commission to be accepted by the engineering and architectural firm of Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Inc.

In October of 2016, the office of former Governor Robert Bentley and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA), Jim Byard Jr., director at the time, announced that a Community Development Block Grant would provide infrastructure necessary for Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores Inc. to construct a refueling center and convenience/food store in the county.

Lowndes County Commission Chairman Carnell McAlpine said at the time the truck stop would provide about 40 jobs for citizens “and much needed tax revenue for the county.”

The county negotiated a contract with Goodwyn Mills & Cawood to handle the water and sewage project.

In March of this year, the commission approved a resolution to amend the ADECA grant funded project to extend sewer infrastructure to the business, eliminating water. As a result of the change, the commission will use the grant funds only to extend sewer infrastructure to the business.

Cedric T. Campbell, project manager from Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, said bids for the sewer extension were opened at 2 p.m. June 13 at the commission meeting facility.

In answer to questions from Commissioner Robert Harris, Campbell said everything is in “good standing.”

Campbell said the other bids were from Goldman Contractors in Livingston and Brunson Nichols Construction of Andalusia.

He said Goldman’s bid was $333,000 and Brunson Nichols bid was $423,000.