MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — The parking lot at the new Costco on Highway 72 at Clift Farm has been jam-packed with shoppers all day long.
But if you’ve driven past the farm location before the retail giant came into town, you’ll notice congestion in the area and folks who live there as well as business owners are voicing their concern loud and clear.
“We’re quite concerned that a lot more traffic is going to come through our streets, and we already have the issue,” Diane Crown of Madison said. “Highway 72 for the last 3 or 4 years has always been bad but since they put the Costco in, it has gotten worse.”
Breland companies have developed the area that features a string of new restaurants and shops along with several housing developments and that has increased traffic, especially at Jack Clift Boulevard.
Breland president Joey Ceci said they are aware of the concerns and has been working with Madison County traffic engineers to complete a traffic study before promising any adjustments.
“We’ve worked with them, and they’ve already adjusted the traffic light once to try and help the traffic here” Ceci explained. “There are some other changes that may be coming to that light as far as the way it’s synced that would help traffic move even more.”
Many travelers have reached out to the city of Madison pleading to fix the traffic, but Ceci says that the area is multi-jurisdictional. Meaning Costco sits in Madison County with only a traffic light separating it from Madison City.
The City of Madison released a statement on those concerns that read in part;
“We’ve heard many concerns about traffic at Costco and Clift Farm. Please keep in mind that Highway 72 is a state road and is not controlled by the city of Madison.”
Ceci added that there are plans to widen Highway 72 that may include a traffic circle.
“Costco wants traffic to move well, and we want traffic to move well all of the local governments want traffic to move well so we’ll all work together to make sure it’s moving as well as it can,” Ceci said.
