Project To Extend Cahaba Beach Road Draws Criticism

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - A public information session held by the Alabama Department of Transportation at Liberty Park Middle School in Vestavia Hills Tuesday regarding a proposal to expand Cahaba Beach Road across the Little Cahaba River drew hundreds of people - most of whom were critical of the plan.

A report by Alabama Media Group said several attendees at Tuesday's meeting wore blue t-shirts with "Save Greater Birmingham's Drinking Water" printed across the back, or large stickers advocating the "no build" option to leave the road as it is.

(For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Patch morning newsletter.)

Much of the land that would be used for the proposed project was purchased by the Birmingham Water Works with ratepayer funds to protect a major drinking water intake on the river, the report says.

Alabama Department of Transportation engineer DeJarvis Leonard said the road is meant to restore connectivity between Cahaba Beach Road and Sicard Hollow Road, which has been connected by an old bridge that has been closed for more than 30 years.

Leonard added that ALDOT intends to make the roads controlled-access, to limit development in the sensitive areas around the river in response to concerns about the water intake.

However, spokespeople from the Cahaba River Society, Cahaba Riverkeeper and Alabama Rivers Alliance say the project would pollute the waters, regardless of how much traffic is limited on the proposed roadway.

David Butler of Cahaba Riverkeeper said in the al.com report the road could see an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 cars daily and would introduce oil, gasoline and other pollutants into the water and would introduce the possibility of a more serious accident in which gasoline, chemicals or other dangerous substances might be spilled from a truck just upstream of the drinking water intake.

"All types of pollutants, if those things that make it into our drinking water, those will have to be filtered out," Butler said. "Eventually it will cost not just the people who use this road, but everybody who gets water from Birmingham Water Works."

The Cahaba River Society created the web site savethecahaba.org to lay out its opposition to the project, which also features a 10-minute documentary film on the subject created through the Alabama Rivers Alliance's Southern Exposure film program.

Local residents also expressed concerns about increased traffic causing safety and congestion issues in their neighborhoods.

Photo submitted by Cahaba River Society