Temporary circulation plans for middle and high school | New

The Cullman Police Department has released temporary traffic plans for Cullman Middle School and Cullman High School for the upcoming school year, and families who drop out of students at either school should be notified of changes due to a municipal sewer project on Oak Drive NE.

Due to the project, Oak Drive NE will be closed to traffic in the near future, so all college stops will be on 9th Street NE, said CPD Sgt. Joey Duncan.

For Cullman Middle School, drop-offs will be in the left and right lanes of 9th Street NE near the school gymnasiums. Cars entering from the north and turning left on 2nd Avenue NE will take the left lane of 9th Street, while cars turning right from 2nd Avenue will take the right lane.

Duncan said the drop-off area will be clearly marked with cones or barrels, and that there will be an administrator who will round up the students who are dropped off on the left side of the street and take them across the road in groups to s ‘ensure they stay safe. crossing the street.

CPD Captain Jeff Warnke also recommended that cars dropping off students on the left side of the street cause all children to get out of the vehicle on the left side and all cars in the right lane get their children out of the side. right.

“That way we don’t have children ending up in traffic,” he said.

After dropping off their students, cars in both lanes of 9th Street will turn left onto 4th Avenue NE to exit the area.

Duncan said the ministry did not have a timeline for the reopening of Oak Drive, but once the sewer project is completed, that road will be reopened as another lane for school traffic.

At Cullman High School, families dropping off students who are not driving should take 12th Street NE to cross 4th Avenue and enter the parking lot next to the main school building. After dropping off, cars will then turn onto 13th Street NE, where they may turn left onto Eva Road NE or right onto Stadium Drive NE to exit the area.

There will also be a drop-off area for athletes on 4th Avenue NE before the parking lot entrance, and a drop-off area for group members on 13th Street NE near the group building.

As in every new school year, all departmental traffic officers will be around each school for the first two weeks of school directing traffic to areas likely to have congestion problems, and officers will be moved to new areas if there are problems at other intersections, Duncan said.

He said the department has worked with each school’s administration and taken their ideas and suggestions on how best to direct traffic, and those ideas have been included in this year’s plan to ensure students are as safe as possible when abandoned. disabled.

“It was a combined effort of everyone involved in the trafficking,” he said. “The number one priority for us is the safety of children. “

Duncan also asked everyone to be patient for the start of the year as everything is still being worked out and parents are learning the new routes.

Warnke said he would be in the department’s helicopter for a day or two and would be able to see any traffic issues that might arise, so ground officers could make any necessary adjustments.

Tyler Hanes can be reached at 256-734-2131 ext. 238.