Several options are on the table for Pell City leaders to consider for relieving traffic congestion along three roads in the vicinity of the Walmart parking lot exit.

In August, the Pell City Council approved the development of a movie theater complex on Vaughn Lane, which led to an analysis of the congestion of the roads in the future theater’s vicinity. Namely, Vaughn Lane, feeding into Little John Drive, which intercepts with U.S. 231. 

Richard Caudle of Skipper Consulting, an engineering firm that specializes in traffic engineering, presented the results from its study, at the Dec. 19 council meeting

According to the study, there were around 300 cars that went into the Walmart parking lot, and another 300 that turned right onto Vaughn Lane in one hour. One of the main issues noted in the study are extensive queues for drivers, as they wait to exit the shopping area onto 231. 

“One thing we saw, was the queues on Little John Drive, approaching 231, basically back up all the way to the intersection at Vaughn Lane,” Caudle said. 

The focus of the solutions revolved around shortening those queues and creating a smoother traffic flow throughout the two intersections. 

According to Caudle, there are also some operational deficiencies that, if abated, could ease some of the congestion. 

“If you’re in-coming in on Little John, into the Walmart parking lot, there’s a gutter pan that extends across that driveway, that gutter pan causes vehicles to slow down as they come into the parking lot and with vehicles slowing down, that means other cars have fewer gaps to come off of Vaughn Lane, and that adds to the queue,” Caudle said. 

The suggestion was to remove the gutter pan, which would increase the amount of traffic flow at the intersection. 

Another suggestion the Skipper Consulting study made was to alter the turning lanes at the Little John and 231 intersection. According to the study, a significantly greater amount of drivers turn left on 231, instead of right. Altering the lanes to accommodate the heaver flow of left-turning traffic was highly recommended.

The study suggested some longterm solutions for the intersections. One is to close the Walmart parking lot access and build a new one that does not feed directly into the oncoming traffic flow from 231. Another options is to make the Walmart parking lot one way for inbound traffic, and direct the outbound traffic through another outlet. Another options is to install a traffic signal at the Little John, Vaughn Lane intersection. The other alternatives are to build a roundabout at the intersection, or build a roundabout with a bypass lane. 

These alternatives are meant to alleviate the current congestion, while ensuring that the problem does not grow exponentially in the future. 

“We looked into the land past the Home Depot, and how much of that could be developed in the future. When you convert the usable land into retail square footage, there’s approximate;y 200,000 square feet of retail back there, which would basically be the same amount of space that Walmart occupies,” Caudle said. “There is a possibility of a considerable amount of development that could occur back there.” 

As growth continues in that area, with the newly opened Buffalo Wild Wings, and the future development of the movie theater, the traffic issue is only expected to get worse. According to members of the council, this is an issue they want fixed as soon as possible. 

“Our next step is to work with the Street Department to move forward and explore the best options for Pell City,” City Manager Brian Muenger said.