By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The Alabama Department of Transportation will hold a public involvement meeting Nov. 19 to unveil a plan to improve traffic flow on U.S. 280.

The improvements will affect the highway from Hollywood Boulevard in Homewood to Doug Baker Boulevard, Shelby County Engineer Randy Cole said during an Oct. 22 County Commission meeting.

The ALDOT meeting will be held at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center from 4-7 p.m.

Cole said ALDOT authorities plan to implement “tried and true” changes to U.S. 280 by November 2014 to improve traffic flow. The proposal does not include an elevated toll road, however.

“The idea is to get traffic to flow much more smoothly through the corridor,” Cole said.

During the meeting, the following actions occurred:

-Held a public hearing regarding the Shelby County 42 Telecommunications Facility.

The 310-foot, self-supporting wireless telecommunications tower will be located near Shelby off Shelby County 42 near Shelby County 71.

County Manager Alex Dudchock said he spoke with the communication tower owners and added language to the contract to allow updates in public safety and the possibility for the county to add communication equipment to the tower at a later date.

According to a letter from the Alabama Historical Commission, the tower will have “no adverse effect on cultural resources” on the National Register of Historic Places.

-Dudchock announced the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, of which Shelby County is a member, support the following constitutional amendments to be voted on Nov. 6 in statewide election: Amendments 1, 2, 4, 9 and 10.

“(Amendment 2) appears to be positive for counties in the economic development business like us,” Dudchock said.

The ACCA remains “neutral” on other amendments, Dudchock said.

-Awarded a bid for a Hydroseeder tank with power system to Vermeer Southeast Sales and Service Inc. for $82,031.

-Awarded a bid for a Knuckle Boom loader with trash body to Sansom Equipment Company Inc. for $59,874.

-Awarded a bid for janitorial services to Charles Dixon Enterprises.

-Awarded a bid for the Heardmont Track resurfacing to Magnolia State School Products Inc.

-Awarded a bid for plumbing supplies to Best Plumbing Specialties.