Preparations are underway for a large scale paving project set to get underway on Cedar Bluff Road from south of the relief bridge (just south of the Cedar Bluff bridge) down to the five-lane section starting near Weiss Lake Lodge in Centre — this portion of roadway hasn’t been resurfaced since 2002.

Alabama Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Seth Burkett said that crews will be getting started today (Thursday, October 08) on guardrail retrofits and will be doing that for about two weeks.

Once the guardrails are complete, they will then begin milling and then paving.

The contractor on the project is Vulcan (formerly McCartney). Contract amount is $1,873,678. The project is about five miles long and goes from the south end of the Burnett Bridge over the Coosa River on Alabama 9 at Cedar Bluff to the Alabama 68 intersection (Cedar Bluff Road at Armory Road), north of U.S. 411 in Centre.

Motorists should be prepared for single-lane closures, expect delays, and plan for additional travel time. The majority of the project is only a two-lane highway, so when the contractor is milling and paving through that area, traffic will be reduced to one lane controlled by flaggers or pilot car. Weather permitting; the time-frame may be several weeks of actual paving. ALDOT says that they anticipate the project being essentially complete before the end of the year.

ALDOT is asking that motorists plan now for additional travel time, slow down in the work zone and be prepared to stop.

There have already been two accidents in the on the Causeway since work has begun. The Cedar Bluff Fire Department is asking that motorist pay close attention to work zone signs, follow all posted construction zone speed limits and refrain from any sort of distracted driving. An accident in the work zone will only further delay traffic, causing much more extended wait times.