At its annual meeting on Sept. 24, the TARCOG Board of Directors voted unanimously to retain its executive board for an extra year for continuity in preparation for the construction of a new office building.

That means continuing in their leadership role for another year will be, Madison City Councilwoman Connie Spears as president, Athens City Councilman James E. Lucas as vice president, Guntersville City Councilman John Myers as secretary, and Arab Mayor Bob Joslin as treasurer. The ex-officio is Larry Chesser, a citizen of Fort Payne.

During the meeting, the Alabama Department of Transportation provided an update on road and bridge projects across North Alabama.

Rodney Ellis, pre-construction engineer for the North Region, shared updates on completed projects, those under construction in the TARCOG Region, and highlights on what’s to come next year to keep traffic moving.

Sometimes, that means slowing traffic down a little while construction is underway, he said, talking about the planned lane expansion of Interstate 565 between Huntsville and Decatur. The project is scheduled to begin in 2025 and take about two and a half years to complete.

The board’s next meeting will be 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the TARCOG office, 7037 Old Madison Pike, Suite 450.