From Staff Reports

County commissioners and engineers hope three new traffic lights on U.S. Highway 280 will improve safety and traffic.

Commissioners approved a deal with the Alabama Department of Transportation on Monday that will add three new signals on the traffic-snarled corridor.

The new lights are slated for Shelby County 41, Shelby County 43 and Highland Lakes Drive.

Three private developers are helping pay for the lights, along with the county. Bill Thornton, Doug Eddleman and Jim Stephens are each contributing $150,000 toward the county’s matching share of $1.43 million.

In recent weeks, concerned citizens attended commission meetings to voice their concerns about safety on U.S. 280. On Nov. 2, a Chelsea High School senior died in a traffic accident on the highway