By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Paving on a stretch of U.S. 31 from Alabaster to Riverchase Parkway in Hoover could begin as early as late May, said Alabama Department of Transportation Engineer Brian Davis.

ALDOT recently awarded a bid to the Dunn Construction company to complete the job, which will resurface and restripe U.S. 31 from its intersection with Shelby County 68 in Alabaster to just south of Riverchase Parkway in Hoover. Davis said the project will not include a stretch from the Pelham Fire Department Station No. 2 to Valleydale Road, which was recently repaved.

Davis said the bid was awarded in late March, giving Dunn about 30 or 45 days to sign the bid documents.

“I expect the contractor to show up in late May,” Davis said. “The state is ready for the contractors to begin work on that.”

The Pelham City Council in late January voted unanimously to enter into an agreement with ALDOT to repave and restripe the section of road. In 2011, ALDOT repaved U.S. 31 from the Interstate 65 exit 238 in Alabaster to Shelby County 68.

“This is long overdue because of the condition of the road,” Pelham City Engineer Jesse Jowers said during the meeting.

Dunn Construction crews will only repave U.S. 31 at night to minimize the impact on traffic, Davis said.

“That is definitely an urbanized area, so it will be a night paving job,” Davis said.

The repaving project will not include widening any sections of U.S. 31.

In early March, ALDOT officials held a public meeting in Pelham outlining “very preliminary” plans to possibly widen U.S. 31 to six lanes. ALDOT officials previously said they have not yet set a timeline for possibly widening the road.