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Lowndesboro Mayor Anne Spooner and Lowndes County Commissioners are appreciated for getting together earlier this week seeking to clear the way for finishing repair of a now usable but dangerous washed out section of Broad Street that leaves much more to be done. Considerable work has already been done by the County on the road to earlier opening the road for traffic.

The road and bridge had become a major problem for area residents, the county and industrial truck traffic. Likewise for school traffic to Lowndes Academy. Work was done on sidewalk damage from the washout, presumably by the Town. But much more is left to get done by the Town.

As much in life, the matter is not simple. This problem is compounded first by a stream crossing the road, very wet soil after the washout, and heavy periodic rains since. Second, some are concerned about potholes coming up in the recently repaired pavement, and this new problem caused some to wonder about the quality of repair work done. Deeper thought on that problem leads quickly to the potholes being caused by urgent repairs over wet soil that settles as it dries out. All are fortunate that traffic flow was restored, but what is described above is part of the ‘cost’ of fixing the problem.

The County likely may resurface much of this road in the future, but that may be a couple of years away. That would be good, as the heavy truck traffic is hard on all pavements. 

Last to address in the holdups on fixing roadway problems on the Broad Street washout is getting the needed guardrails. In this week’s meeting it was said delay moving forward was caused by not being able to get the needed guardrails. It looks here like ingenuity in finding another road system in our Counties or State that would ‘lend’ our County what is needed badly to protect traffic if there are minor or major accidents there. 

Shortages and delays in receiving building and industrial needs are prevalent the world over at the moment. We feel it in aluminum plates and newsprint paper in the media business. We ‘borrow’ and ‘return’ in like kind periodically over many past years to find a path through such problems – that is why we suggest a similar approach on required guardrails.

Then, there is a need to fix the sidewalk bridge at the washout site. Getting that done is a need that Town officials and those who live here know is important. The way around that gap in the sidewalk is dangerous. If complications continue in finishing roadway and controlling water flow continue, the Town needs to consider if a temporary crossing sidewalk to sidewalk is worthwhile for safety – just as the County did in doing what was necessary to meet traffic needs on Broad Street. 

If you have a constructive suggestion on the matter, please send it to us at shane.dunaway@greenvilleadvocate.com, or mail it to PO Box 507, Greenville, AL, 36037 and we will be glad to publish your thoughts after editing for your protection and ours.