To those drivers who frequent Old Cahaba Road on their way to drop their children off at school; to those drivers who crisscross the intersection of Old Cahaba Road and Medical Center Parkway and the countless others who traverse this area of Selma each and every day, the day has come.

Beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, work crews will begin the long-awaited repaving project of Old Cahaba Road from the bridge near the old landfill all the way to the three-way stop intersection with Old Marion Junction Road. The project also includes the repaving of Medical Center Parkway, from Old Cahaba Road to U.S. Highway 80.

In all, the next 60 working days in this area of Selma are going to be a little more traffic unfriendly than normal.

“We wanted to let everyone know that it was beginning and to be patient with us as we work through this project,” Selma Mayor George Evans said Tuesday. “These roads are in need of repair and we’re glad the work is ready to begin.”

The part of the project that is expected to cause the most delays will begin immediately. Crews with Selma-based Asphalt Contractors, who was awarded the repaving project, will begin milling down the westbound land on Old Cahaba Road, beginning at the bridge and heading to the three-way stop. Once they’ve completed that lane, which is expected to last a day to a day and half, they will turn around and head up the eastbound lane from the three-way stop back.

During this work, westbound traffic will be rerouted onto Lapsley Street, while eastbound traffic will be detoured down Old Marion Junction Road to Alabama Highway 219.

Traffic heading toward Medical Center Parkway on Hooper Drive, in most cases, will only be allowed to cross Old Cahaba Road, not turning right or left.

Construction officials expect the milling and paving of the Old Cahaba portion of the project to last two and a half to three weeks, although there will still be some guardrail and other work that will be completed later.

As for the repaving of Medical Center Parkway, crews do not expect it to cause to many delays as they will be able to keep at least one lane of traffic open at all times in each direction as work on the road is ongoing.

Selma Chief of Police William Riley said officers will be around the construction areas as work is done to help if any traffic problems are created.

This much-needed repaving project is being funded by the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP). The awarding of the funds was announced by Gov. Robert Bentley’s office in June 2012.

The project received $479,636, with the city of Selma being required to match an additional $119,909. Overall, the project is expected to cost $599,545.