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DOTHAN: Unrest in the Roy Driggers Municipal Building, AKA Dothan Civic Center, between Dothan Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba, D5 Gantt Pierce, D6 David Crutchfield and D1 Vivian Daniels, D2 Phillipe Kirksey, D3 Bradley Bedwell, and D4 Dave Stock whether to MOVE BACK TO the FOUR LANE or keep the road diet or aka downtown traffic jam that is in front of the dothan civic center. Commissioners 1-4 have heard your complaints, observed and on a secret polling by City manager Randy Morris, voted to have this returned to 4 lane. D5 Gantt Pearce and D6 David , and mayor voted with the downtown Friday coffee club.

The unrest comes from the “road diet” of East Main Street, from Oates Street to Museum Street. The City of Dothan turned the three blocks into a two lane road. ALDOT ( Alabama Department of Transportation ) has moved equipment in to begin repaving of Main Street. It seems four Dothan Commissioners, which is the majority of the commission, has made it clear they want the road returned to four lanes. However, Dothan City Manager Randy Morris has told the Mayor and Commissioners that ALDOT is not giving an “official” recommendation on the road diet. He then tells ALDOT has decided for him to move forward with the road diet and the resurfacing of Main Street. That If ALDOT determines during the evaluation period that the four lane is preferred that ALDOT will do a fill project with the City of Dothan sharing in the cost. Although Randy told commissioners they would have the final say on the road diet, when the coffee club didn’t get their way, he blames it on AlDot.

Some Commissioners are calling for a special called meeting of the Dothan Commission. When the controversy, Friday, both Dothan City Manager Randy Morris and Dothan City Clerk were off. Some commissioners are calling for an emergency meeting before ALDOT begins repaving. It appears the majority of the Commission are upset and what is happening is not what they were told at the beginning of this “road diet”. The upset members of the commissions feel they are elected to represent the citizens of Dothan and the information provided has not been totally truthful.

The project is in District 1 Vivian Daniels and D2 Phillipe Kirksey districts. And it appears both Daniels and Kirksey want the roadway returned to four lane along with D3 Bedwell and D4 Stock. And it appears the data collected is from observing that traffic via cameras and not any in person study.

Overall Stability of the State – Per Dothan Study Report Prepared By The City of Dothan

US-84 is classified as a principal arterial (other) highway. It is a major corridor in the state that
runs east/west from the Mississippi state line to the Georgia state line. This project impacts
overall stability to the State because it is a State/US route that connects to multiple State and US
routes and cities. It connects to SR-123 in Wicksburg, SR-85 in Daleville, SR-167 and SR-27 in
Enterprise, SR-125 in Elba, US-331 and SR-134 in Opp, US-29 in Andalusia, US-31 in Evergreen,
SR-41 in Repton, SR-21 near Monroeville, US-43 in Grove Hill, SR-69 in Coffeeville, SR-17 in Silas,
and SR-95 near Alaga to name a few. Regional traffic passing through Dothan may look for
alternate routes if this area is known to be congested. This project addresses congestion and
safety among other things ultimately making this route and the overall State system more
stable. The safer the roads that are connected to the State-maintained system, the more stable
the State system becomes as a whole.

Improvements to the US-84 corridor in Dothan, AL have been needed for quite
some time; however, funding has not been available. The ATRIP-II funding provides a great
opportunity to improve this important roadway and provide a benefit to the citizens of Dothan
and citizens statewide traveling through Dothan.

U.S. Route 84 Explained

The section from Brunswick, Georgia, to Roscoe, Texas, has been designated by five state legislatures as part of the El Camino East–West Corridor. The designation was in recognition of its history as a migration route from the Atlantic coast to the present Mexican border, one of the routes that Spanish settlers called El Camino Real. (In Louisiana, the route was called the Harrisonburg Road.) The designation is intended to promote the route for both tourism and NAFTA-facilitated trade with Mexico.^[3] ^[4] States are asking for federal funds to widen the US 84 El Camino East–West Corridor.

In Alabama, US 84 is paired with unsigned State Route 12 (SR 12). Parts of the route have been widened in recent years to four-lane status. The most significant exist from River Falls eastward to Andalusia, near Opp where a recent bypass of the downtown area now carries US 84 in a southern arc around the town, and from Enterprise eastward thru Daleville and on to the Dothan area and then the Georgia state line at the Chattahoochee River in Saffold.

US 84 has brief stretches concurrent with other US Highways in Alabama. US 84 shares a routing with US 31 from just southwest of Evergreen to a few miles east of town. It briefly shares a routing with US 29 in the city of Andalusia. It also shares a routing with US 331 near Opp. At Dothan, US 84 shares a concurrency with US 231 and US 431 on the Ross Clark Circle which is the circular bypass of downtown.

US 84 crosses three major navigable waterways in Alabama. They are the Tombigbee River at Coffeeville, the Alabama River at Claiborne, and the Chattahoochee River at the Alabama–Georgia state line. US 84 passes through Enterprise and Daleville which are both very near Fort Novosel which is the United States Army‘s helicopter training school. Most of US 84 in Alabama traverses the Gulf Coastal Plain which is relatively lowlying land with some sand content. The area is heavily agricultural with little heavy industry. Dothan is the largest city in Alabama traversed by US 84 and it is the business and agricultural center of Southeast Alabama. The area is commonly referred to as the Wiregrass Region.

RSN

From Bainbridge Georgia to Andalusia, I know, is four laned. In a big deal that was presented, was the four lane construction of Highway 84 and a major economic impact for Dothan – Houston County. It is now four laned, except for the three blocks the Dothan City Manager and others have turned into a two lane road. Which directly conflicts with all of the talk on the major corridor.

The elected feel this is not the decision of the Dothan City Manager.