Aaron Aronov Drive

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Aaron Aronov Drive (originally Weibel Drive) is 1.3-mile long four-lane commercial street connecting Fairfield and Midfield.

Construction of the road began with a groundbreaking ceremony on April 4, 1960. The 4-lane thoroughfare was dedicated in August 1961 with the cutting of a ribbon made of steel. Honoree Arthur Weibel, president of U. S. Steel's TCI division, which is headquartered in Fairfield, was joined by Lieutenant Governor Albert Boutwell, Alabama Highway Director Sam Engelhardt, and Mayor of Fairfield Claud Smithson.

The name of the road was changed to honor developer Aaron Aronov after he helped develop Western Hills Mall at Wiebel Drive.

The road is considered part of Jefferson County Road 65 (Minor Parkway), but is not continuous with the section between Alabama State Highway 269 and U.S. Highway 78 north of Fairfield. Grasselli Road parallels Aaron Aronov Drive between Hillview Drive and Dr M. L. K. Boulevard.

In 2005 a Western Hills Mall and Aronov Drive Corridor Revitalization Study was undertaken by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham. Their recommendations included multi-story office/retail buildings to take advantage of interstate visibility, additional outparcel buildings in the existing surface parking lots, and construction of a new 6-story parking deck.

In 2012 the city of Midfield installed traffic cameras at the intersection of Aaron Aronov Drive and Bessemer Super Highway. In 2014 a brick wall at the entrance to Fairfield's Forest Hills subdivision at Aronov Drive and Ridgewood Avenue was damaged in an automobile collision. It was repaired the following May by students in Marvin Ford's masonry class at Fairfield Preperatory High School.

In 2019 Jefferson County agreed to take over maintenance of Aaron Aronov Drive for the City of Fairfield.

Notable locations

References