The City of Fultondale declared the situation on Whaley Road an emergency and accepted a bid for repairs in the amount of $29,400 from Gillespie Construction.

The road was badly damaged by heavy rainfall on Christmas Day when a portion of the road collapsed. The road has been closed since the collapse after city crews deemed the road too dangerous for traffic.

While the repairs are being completed, traffic, including school buses, will have to be routed down Central Ave. Mayor Jim Lowery said the police department will increase patrols in the area to assist with traffic issues.

The repairs are estimated to take four to six weeks.

The severe weather on Christmas Day also drove approximately 100 people to the city’s storm shelter for safety.

Lowery said the shelter opening went smoothly, but the city is working to get benches into the shelter to provide seating.

In other business:

• The city’s new tennis courts are open, but a ribbon cutting has not yet been scheduled.
• The city’s hazardous mitigation plan has been sent to the county for approval and will be available for public viewing at city hall until the end of February.
• The council approved a resolution to add a street light at the intersection of Walker Chapel Road and Cody Circle.
• The council renewed a franchise agreement with Marcus Cable of Alabama, also known as Charter Communications.