News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The discovery of a sinkhole pushed the price of Algood’s Big Mac Drive extension project some $140,000 higher than expected.
Algood City Administrator Keith Morrison told City Council members Tuesday night the sinkhole had to be dug out and stabilized before the project could be completed. Morrison said the price increase would force city council to amend its original budget for the year.
“We’ll have to do a little bit of an amendment here,” Morrison said. “I think I put some extra money in this year’s budget because I didn’t know what the close-out last year was. I think we’re going to be okay because the money was already in there anyway for the project.”
Morrison said the final project cost some $595,000. Vice Mayor Luke Hill said the project was obviously not budgeted, but acknowledged the expansion has been a net positive for the community.
“That’s an expensive sinkhole,” Hill said. “But thank you. I’ve heard nothing but positive and it should help with the development and bringing more to those parcels over there.”
Morrison said there has been plenty of traffic moving through the area since the project’s completion. The expansion also opened additional parcels along the street between Main Street and Wal Mart. Morrison said a Waffle House will begin construction soon.
“I know we’ve had several folks interested and I think they were just waiting for the road to be completed,” Morrison said. “I think now, you’ll see those start to close out.”
Morrison said the city has received positive feedback from citizens who have been visiting Walmart and the surrounding restaurants.
In other business, City Council voted to table the decision to begin working on an indoor soccer complex in memory of Joseph Warlick. Morrison said the city wants to make sure all of the minor legalities are ironed out and everybody is happy on both sides before moving forward with the project.
