'Let's just get it over': Highland Park residents concerned with lengthy drainage, flooding project
The city of Birmingham is taking on a $5.9 million project to fix a drainage and flooding issue in the Highland Park neighborhood.
The city of Birmingham is taking on a $5.9 million project to fix a drainage and flooding issue in the Highland Park neighborhood. A news release from the city called the issue 鈥渉istoric,鈥� affecting 26th Street South and Caldwell Park.
The project is supposed to be completed by summer 2026. Residents in the area feel the work on the drainage system is going to take a long time, but they鈥檝e been asking for the issue to be fixed for much longer. Even though it鈥檚 going to take a long time, neighbors said they鈥檙e willing to wait if it means getting the issue fixed.
Neighbors like Priscilla Leberte and Anne Sunkel feel drivers already drive down 26th Street too fast. Now, with the construction, they鈥檙e concerned about the traffic flow and how the detour will affect their streets.
鈥淭hat route goes right into Irondale,鈥� Leberte said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to definitely affect my husband鈥檚 commute as far as traffic flow and getting up a lot earlier to try to get down that road. We鈥檙e basically trying to figure out are we going to be on the detour route. Because that is going to affect parking on the street, driving on the street, reversing out of the driveway onto the street.鈥�
Sunkel told 米兰体育 13 that the city told her that part of the project is 鈥渢raffic calming.鈥� She said when residents turn onto her street off 26th Street, they turn too wide and end up hitting the curb in front of her house. She鈥檚 put light reflectors up in her yard to keep that from happening, and she said the city is also going to expand her lawn to create a more square curb on the corner of her yard to slow people down.
鈥淭he work on the street won鈥檛 affect me as much,鈥� Sunkel said. 鈥淎lthough I鈥檓 right here at the corner, it鈥檚 going to be a challenge, but I think it鈥檚 well worth it. Now. I鈥檓 retired, so I鈥檓 not in and out as much, but there is pretty heavy traffic on this street at 8 in the morning and about 5 in the evening.鈥�
The city said if you鈥檙e traveling in this area to expect traffic to be backed up. Residents and businesses in the area are aware of how this construction will impact them but the city will send out updates on the progress of the project.
Neighbors like Priscilla Leberte and Anne Sunkel feel drivers already drive down 26th Street too fast. Now, with the construction, they鈥檙e concerned about the traffic flow and how the detour will affect their streets.