Mayor announces four-month Wall-Triana closing

Map of the closing and suggested detour for Wall-Triana Highway.

By Nick Sellers | Staff Reporter

Mayor Troy Trulock announced on Friday the temporary closing of a significant portion of Wall-Triana Highway for the next several months.

From June 12 until the end of September, traffic on Wall-Triana will be diverted to Hughes Road from points on Browns Ferry Road and Eastview Drive so that the “very old” bridge near Mill Creek Crossing can undergo extensive renovations.

“The reason we have to replace it, it’s a dangerous bridge,” Trulock said at the press conference.

Trulock mentioned the project had been on tap “for quite a while,” but now the funding has come through. He said the project’s cost will be split halfway between the city and the state, with the total amount coming close to $930,000.

The Alabama Department of Transportation is contributing funds from ATRIP, a federal aid highway program administered by the state.

When completed, the bridge will feature three lanes instead of the present two with an enhanced drainage application under the bridge. Three pipes will be installed under the bridge to ease water flow.

The present bridge has remained at the site since 1935, Trulock added. It is currently set to hold 13 tons at a given time, but with the rapid increase in traffic on Wall-Triana the recommended bridge strength is 40 tons.

Another feature of the project is an asphalt walkway that will connect the subdivisions of Mill Creek Crossing on the west side of Wall-Triana and Eastview on the east side of the highway.

“People will also be able to walk to Bob Jones High School [On Hughes Road],” Trulock said.

Local traffic to neighborhoods north of Browns Ferry will still have access to Wall-Triana.