Widening to add lanes on SR-53 in the Harvest area of Madison County will soon begin.
The $5.3 million project will expand the highway to five lanes for about one mile, from Taurus Drive, just north of Jeff Road, to Harvest Road. This segment of SR-53 carries about 19,000 vehicles daily.
Additionally, the project will resurface SR-53 from Jeff Road to Taurus Drive.
Anticipated timeline and sequence of work
Contractor Rogers Group anticipates beginning work Monday, June 15, if weather and scheduling permit.
Rogers Group expects to begin with clearing, excavation and filling on the west side of the road. Grading and drainage will be followed by construction of the southbound road base and paving through the binder layer. A similar sequence of work will follow for the east side and additional northbound lane.
After the new lanes are constructed, the contractor will pave the final wearing surface. Subcontractors will then install traffic stripe, pavement markers and signs.
ALDOT anticipates completion in late 2027.
Traffic impacts
ALDOT advises motorists to expect occasions when traffic on SR-53 will be reduced to one lane and directed by flaggers. However, most work will take place on the shoulder and will not require closure of the travel lanes.
ALDOT warns that side street intersections with SR-53 will closed at times, possibly for extended periods. Drivers will need to seek alternate routes during those times.
For real-time traffic and road condition information, visit ALGOtraffic.com or download the ALGO Traffic app.
Recent and upcoming intersection improvements
Last year saw completion of a $4 million Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II (ATRIP-II) project to install traffic signals at Harvest Road and Old Railroad Bed Road and add turn lanes at Harvest Road, McKee Road, and Old Railroad Bed Road.
Another $1.3 million ATRIP-II project planned for SR-53 in Limestone County will add turn lanes at Pinedale Road and Pulaski Pike, south of Ardmore.
Funded through the Rebuild Alabama Act of 2019 and administered by ALDOT, ATRIP-II provides at least $30 million annually for local transportation infrastructure projects across the state.
