Traffic patterns on some Dougherty County roads may be altered by Sabal Trail construction

ALBANY — District 5 Dougherty County Commissioner Harry James says he’s accepted the reality that the Sabal Trail pipeline, the $3.5 billion behemoth of a project that will send up to a billion cubic feet of natural gas a day from central Alabama to central Florida — through a portion of Dougherty County along the way — is going to happen.

But, James said Wednesday morning, that isn’t stopping him from making sure Houston-based Spectra Energy and its subcontractors hired to build the pipeline follow the letter of the law in moving the project forward.

“I’ve already started getting calls from citizens concerned about the construction process and how it’s going to impact traffic flow,” James said. “I’ve checked into it, and the construction crews are following the letter of the law in that they’re putting up proper signage in construction areas. But my concern is what’s going to happen to traffic once construction starts.

“Right now, it’s just moving a lot of equipment. What’s it going to be like in a few days when (someone) is heading to work and he left home a few minutes late, so he has a tight window to get to where he’s supposed to be? Then he gets to one of these construction sites, and he has to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. That’s going to be frustrating. It’s going to be frustrating for a lot of people.”

James said Sabal Trail officials sent a notice to county officials outlining their construction plan. He forwarded a copy of that notice to The Albany Herald as a means of informing drivers who may be impacted by potential delays.

“You look at these sites where they’re setting up, and they have a vehicle and a person sitting there, so that tells me at some point they’re going to start flagging traffic,” James said. “As I said, what they’re doing is in compliance with the letter of the law, but I don’t know that it prepares drivers for potential delays.”

The communication from Sabal Trail said:

“Sabal Trail has started clearing and grading operations in the southern portion of Dougherty County. These operations will be followed by pipeline installation and site cleanup. All operations will be done with an ‘assembly line’ approach starting in south Dougherty County and moving northerly through the county.”

The Sabal email listed the 16 county roads that will be crossed in Dougherty County: Hancock Road (the 1800 block), Nelms Road (1700 block), Dorough Avenue (4700 block), Palm Avenue (4600 block), Antioch Road (1800 block), Williamsburg Road (3500 block), Radium Springs Road (3500 block), Victory Avenue (3600 block), Namdi Street (3600 block), Kreg Avenue (1100 block), Blue Springs Road (3500 block), Lily Pond Road (1900 block), Old Pretoria Road (800 block), Eight Mile Road (600 block), Old Dawson Road (5300 block) and Wadsworth Avenue (600 block).

“It is anticipated that the project, including restoration of disturbed areas, will take approximately 10-12 months to complete,” the Sabal Trail email stated. “During this time, various stages of construction will be present at these locations and the surrounding areas. Full road closures are not expected; however, periodically lane closures may occur. Motorists may experience increased traffic and periodic delays.

“All residents and motorists in these areas need to be alert to changing traffic conditions and use alternate routes when possible. Updates on the project will be released when available.”

James said he will continue to monitor the project through the remainder of his term on the commission, which runs through Dec. 31.

“As long as I’m still a member (of the County Commission), I will do whatever I can to keep our citizens informed,” the commissioner said. “My mom always said to give the devil his due, and Sabal Trail is following the letter of the law. They’re in compliance as far as what the law says they have to do. But, just as I have since this project was announced, I will continue to monitor their activity.”