By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – Drivers traveling to the new Thompson High School now have another option for accessing the campus, as the Alabaster City School System has opened a new entrance to the property.

The new high school’s Kent Dairy Road entrance opened to traffic in mid-December, which has already helped to relieve some congestion at the school’s main entrance on Thompson Road, said ACS Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers.

“It’s open to traffic now, and we will begin fully utilizing it when we return from the holiday break,” Vickers said, noting the school will update its traffic flow plan after the Christmas break. “They really did a great job constructing that, and I think it will make traffic flow a lot easier.”

Through the project, the Chilton Contractors company added an entrance lane and left- and right-hand turn lanes from Warrior Parkway onto Kent Dairy Road. Traffic turning left from Warrior Parkway onto Kent Dairy Road has a stop sign, while traffic turning right has a yield sign.

Chilton Contractors also added a center turn lane and a dedicated right-turn lane on Kent Dairy Road leading onto Warrior Parkway.

Before the second entrance opened, all traffic accessed the campus from the front Thompson Road entrance, which often led to heavy congestion, particularly during large events such as football games.