Gov. Ivey announces $2M to reconstruct turn lanes on US 80 in Demopolis

Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday announced a $2 million investment to reconstruct the turn lanes on U.S. 80 through Demopolis to improve safety and traffic efficiency.

The announcement was made at Rooster Hall in Demopolis City Council Chambers.

“Today’s announcement of this $2 million investment into Highway 80 will make a world of difference for those who live and work here and those passing through,” Ivey said. 

The renovations to U.S. 80 are part of the state’s Rebuild Alabama project that has paid for infrastructure needs throughout the state. The changes to U.S. 80 from Maria Avenue to Lake Lane include new turn lanes from the center lane, updated lighting and signals that are designed with a “smarter access management technique that is proven to save lives and reduce crashes,” said Brian Aaron, Southwest assistant regional engineer for Alabama Department of Transportation.

“U.S. 80 has seen its share of accidents and near misses the last several years and that is due to an outdated approach to access,” Aaron said. 

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The designs will move the roadway into “today’s standard” and will increase driver safety and when completed, Aaron said, adding it will “provide a safer more efficient route for citizens of Demopolis and those who travel US  80.”

State Rep. AJ McCampbell said Ivey during her tenure has provided many projects to Marengo County and West Alabama that is giving the area “the opportunity to not only grow but thrive.” He pointed to the West Alabama Corridor that brings a four-lane highway from Mobile to Tuscaloosa through small towns including Demopolis. 

Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins credited Ivey for also providing funds to rebuild the city’s boat ramp on the Tombigbee and Black Warrior rivers that has increased fishing tournament capacity and adds to the tax revenue.

Collins also thanked her for helping get the Alabama School for Healthcare Sciences located in Demopolis, which is a $60 million new construction of a residential high school that will train students for the healthcare industry. It will be built behind Whitfield Regional Hospital that will serve as the training center.

Collins gave Ivey a key to the city and an olive tree that he said will remind her of how Demopolis started as a “Vine and Olive Colony” of Napolean refugees that cultivated grapes and olives trees in the early 1800s.