Bartlett pledges better commutes ahead for Madison motorists
MADISON – What’s the most frequent comment/ complaint that Madison Mayor Ranae Bartlett and City Council members hear from constituents? Traffic.
Citizens want new and improved roads. Bartlett and the council must have felt like Christmas had arrived early, because they have received a virtual- yet-certain gift, which Bartlett detailed in “Madison Weekly.”
On Oct. 19, Bartlett joined Congressman Dale Strong and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle to announce $14.3 million in federal funding for “two road projects that will make a real difference in how Madison residents get to work each day,” she said.
“When I talk with residents, one concern comes up more than any other: traffic. Many of our neighbors make the daily drive to Research Park and Redstone Arsenal, and these investments are aimed directly at those routes,” Bartlett said.
Slaughter Road is the first project. “Congressman Strong secured $3.5 million to add lanes to this busy corridor, which began as a two-lane county road and now carries commuters through both Madison and Huntsville,” Bartlett said. “For Madison families, additional lanes mean less time waiting in traffic and a smoother trip to work, school and everywhere in between.”
Resolute Way, the second project, is the approved road approximately two miles on the south side of I-565 to access Redstone Gateway (Gate 9) and Madison Boulevard. The new roadway will reduce congestion in proximity of Research Park Boulevard and I-565.
“Slaughter Road crosses several jurisdictions and improving it requires cooperation at every level of government,” Bartlett said. Bartlett expressed gratitude to Strong, Battle and Madison County Commissioner Steve Haraway for helping these improvements to materialize.
“By giving drivers another way onto Redstone Arsenal, Resolute Way will relieve pressure on the Research Park Boulevard interchange, a familiar bottleneck for anyone who makes that commute,” Bartlett said. Resolute Way received a $10.8-million federal grant.
“Because most of the construction will take place away from I-565, drivers should not expect major lane closures while the work is completed. Design work on the first phase is already underway, and construction is expected to begin on both projects in late 2027,” Bartlett said.
For the 2027 SEC Softball Tournament, ‘Stay and Play packages’ are available for sports fans to enjoy a ‘staycation’ while cheering for your favorite SEC team For tickets, visit secsports. com/news/2026/10/stay-play-packagesa vailable-for-2027-sec-softballtournament.
Bartlett reiterated Madison Police Chief John Gandy’s caution about panhandlers, especially on Madison streets. “Unfortunately, there are dishonest individuals who seek to take advantage of our community’s generosity, and we need to address it,” she said. To access Gandy’s message, visit madisonal.gov, and click “We Need to Talk About Panhandlers” in the “Latest News” sections.
On Fall Cleanup Day, volunteers helped to keep Madison beautiful, including members of Madison Visionary Partners, Mayor’s Youth Council and Civic Awareness Academy. “We appreciate everyone’s hard work!” Bartlett said.
Madison Sportsplex, formerly called Madison Wellness Center, soon will have updates with signage, a new access point and turf. The parking lot will be closed for this work, except for Election Day on Nov. 3.
On Halloween morning, Oct. 31, Main Street Madison will host the premiere of Downtown Madison’s Fall Festival from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Home Place Park. For more information, visit mainstreetmadison. org/pages/downtown-madison- fall-festival. Also at Home Place Park, Gather Madison on Nov. 8 will give residents a chance to take a break and enjoy a free meal with friends, neighbors and new acquaintances. Madison Visionary Partners will host the free event from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. For more information, visit mvpmadison. org/gather.
City departments summarized this week’s work: * Madison Police Department — 935 calls for service, 36 arrests, 80 incident reports, 42 citations and 86 warnings.
* Madison Fire and Rescue Department — 137 total incidents for daily average of 19.6, 1 fire call, 10 public service calls and 95 medical calls.
* Madison Building Department — 82 permits issued, 105 building inspections, 19 total short-term rental licenses issued and 17 new code enforcement cases created.
For information, visit madisonal.gov.
