Warrior, AL - The road to Hayden is only paved with the government's good intentions. That was the feeling among many residents Monday night at as they gathered at Crossroads Baptist Church, in Warrior, to meet with an ALDOT official over the lack of progress on the Highway 160 safety project.

In 2006, Hayden residents say Governor Riley pledged to make the busy Blount County road wider and safer after hearing about the road's high number of fatal accidents. They say that pledge included making the 2 lane highway into 4 lanes, installing guard rails, creating a shoulder, road repaving and repainting.
Now, three years later, ALDOT has put in one turning lane, a few electronic speed indicators and is paying the overtime to beef up trooper patrols. But residents say that's not enough and that's not what the Governor 'promised.'

"We really expected more than this. If you're going to do it just do it. If not say you cant," says Khristal Kulungian, concerned resident.

ALDOT official, Tony Harris, urges residents to be patient assures them the agency is 100 percent on board. He says because of federal regulations a project like this takes time.

"We wouldn't have invested the money in the engineering that we've already invested if we didn't already have a commitment to widen the road," says Harris.

Residents say dozens of fatal car accidents have occured on Hwy 160 including the wreck involving three high school cheerleaders in 2007.

 Email To Friend