The Hale County Commission has advertised plans to vacate portions of two rural roads and will hold a public hearing on the proposals at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, in the upstairs courtroom of the Hale County Courthouse. Citizens who believe they would be affected may file written objections or ask to speak at the hearing, according to the legal notices.
One notice covers a spur of County Road 38 that leaves the primary CR-38 and runs west/northwest across Section 19, Township 21 North, Range 3 East, to the Black Warrior River. If that segment is vacated, the county’s right-of-way would be extinguished and the county would no longer maintain it; access would revert to adjacent landowners subject to any private easements that already exist.
The second notice details a “partial vacation” of Loon Road in the NW¼ of the NE¼ of Section 12, Township 20 North, Range 4 East. The description tracks the centerline through surface-treated and gravel sections, ending on an older roadbed near properties tied to recent deeds. As with any vacation, the county’s responsibility for upkeep and the public’s right to travel that segment would end if the action is approved.
For residents, the practical implications can include changes in how emergency responders, school buses and delivery services reach homes or hunting camps; potential gating of what becomes private drive; and shifts in who must repair washouts, signage and culverts.
Under Alabama law, counties may vacate unused or unnecessary rights-of- way after public notice and a hearing. The Hale County notices invite any affected citizen to submit objections in writing or request time to be heard before the Commission on Nov. 12. Final action would rest with commissioners following that hearing.
