This is the fourth in a series highlighting the people and work behind all eight districts that make up ALDOT’s West Central Region.
On any given day in ALDOT’s Jasper District, the plan can change before breakfast. With more than 500 lane miles to maintain and a wave of growth continuing to reshape the Walker County, it takes a skilled and flexible team to keep the roads safe and traffic moving.
Chuck Cordell has led the district since 2006 and brings 32 years of ALDOT experience to the job. He says the work is anything but routine.
“Our construction inspectors are usually overseeing two to four projects at a time,” Cordell said. “Some are resurfacing jobs, others are bridge replacements, sign replacements, or things like crack sealing or railroad safety improvements. They’re often working eight to 16 hours a day to make sure taxpayer money is spent wisely.”
While the inspectors are on the job sites, the district’s 22 maintenance employees tackle an ever-changing list of responsibilities. From mowing, patching, cleaning ditches, spraying herbicides, clearing debris and more, a well-planned schedule can quickly turn into a scramble if a tractor trailer overturns on I-22 or if a truck spills its load.
“These incidents are responded to as quickly as possible, leaving planned work to be finished on another day,” Cordell said. “Suffice it to say that a typical day in the Jasper District is very seldom typical or boring, but our maintenance forces always respond in a way that is most effective, most efficient and the least inconvenient for the traveling public.”
The Jasper District also has seven administrative employees and a permitting team that Cordell calls one of the best in the state. They handle everything from fuel shipments and encroachment issues to driveway applications and billboard permits. Their efforts, along with those of the administrative staff, keep the wheels turning behind the scenes.
“They stay on top of rule changes and make sure the paperwork’s right, even when something has to be redone at the last minute,” Cordell said. “When a guideline, rule or process changes, these folks are on top of it.”
The Jasper District covers a rural area with deep roots, but it’s changing fast. Cordell has watched that change firsthand, especially since the completion of I-22.
“I’ve worked on I-22 in some form for most of my career, from standing timber to open interstate,” he said. “I am now getting to see the tremendous financial impact it is having on our county. We get to be a part of shaping that impact into something that has an overall positive impact on our citizens while ensuring that all the new businesses being built are given highway access that doesn’t become a nightmare 20 years later.”
One recent project stands out to Cordell as a symbol of progress. The Ninth Avenue Bridge in Jasper, long plagued by clearance issues and traffic congestion, was torn down and rebuilt last year alongside a full redesign of the nearby intersection of SR-5 and SR-195.
“The old bridge was narrow and outdated, and ‘The Split’ was confusing and dangerous,” he said. “Now we have a modern bridge with proper clearance, a center turn lane, traffic signals and sidewalks. The intersection is a standard T with signals and turn lanes. The difference in traffic flow is incredible.”
Cordell says what makes the Jasper District special is its people.
“We care about our work, and we care about the people driving these roads,” he said. “Our families travel these same highways that we build and maintain. So, it’s almost like we work for ourselves with a vested interest in the safety and longevity of our roadways. That attitude has defined our district and will hopefully continue long after I’m gone.”
