Yellowhammer Times

The Alabama Department of Transportation's District 45, led by Administrator Stephen Blair, is tackling ongoing challenges with sinkholes in Talladega County. The area's limestone-rich geology contributes to frequent sinkhole issues under local roads. "One thing that we have to deal with a lot around here is sinkholes, and, you know, a lot of counties don’t have that. Talladega in particular, a lot of limestone and everything," said Blair.

In 2014, the team managed a significant project on SR-21 where they had to close lanes to address a massive sinkhole. "So, you took a 4-lane highway and completely dug it out. I think that deepest point was 100 feet. Oh, and refilled that with rip rap and concrete," Blair explained.

Blair has been with ALDOT since July 2004, initially working on maintenance projects and permit reviews at the Montgomery headquarters. He became District Manager in 2010 for what was then called District 5 in his hometown area.

Despite enjoying administrative duties, Blair often joins his maintenance team in the field. "I don’t mind being here, signing papers or dealing with people on the phone, but I’ll get out there and around the crews, and I’ll grab a shovel with them, and do whatever needs to be done," he said.

He oversees 25 employees who handle various maintenance tasks. Blair credits his team's dedication as motivation for his work: "We’re a cohesive unit. We all know what the goal is, and we’re all working together to try to reach that goal."

Senior Superintendent Larry Askew plays a crucial role within the team due to his extensive experience over more than three decades at ALDOT. "He’s not telling somebody to go do something that he doesn’t know how to do himself or can’t go out there and do it himself," noted Blair.

The district also manages traffic during major events like NASCAR races at Talladega Superspeedway by collaborating with regional ALDOT teams. "We do work ahead of time to get everything prepped... So it is a joint effort of pulling that off," Blair said.

Looking ahead, Blair aims to continue serving motorists in Talladega County alongside his reliable team: "Our goal was to keep the highways safe and in as good a shape as possible for the traveling public."

Information from this article can be found here.