Alabama roads

In response to the June 26 About Alabama article by Jim Williams concerning our state roads, it is my experience that the problem in our state road system lies not in a lack of money but in a serious lack of efficiency and cooperation. Having served as a county commissioner in one of the largest districts in the state, we often had to deal with a slow, inefficient, unmotivated or even adversarial state highway department.    

Over and over, I found that simple projects would get delayed for months, if not longer, by a bureaucratic nightmare. Rather than “re-engineer” or “second guess” everything while paying for overhead that never goes to resurface an existing road or pay for projects that improve traffic, I encourage Gov. Bentley and the highway director to get serious about streamlining the state highway department. 

Don Wallace, CPA

Former County Commissioner

Tuscaloosa, Ala.