HARTSELLE — Hartselle city leaders hope a tunnel carrying infrastructure to the east side of Interstate 65 brings revenue back to City Hall.

Workers completed the 60-inch tunnel, which extends 405 feet, ahead of schedule.

Beginning Jan. 7, Hartselle Utilities and city workers will start on the final phase, which will take water, sewer and gas to 18.8 acres of city-owned property.

“After many years of planning and talking, we can finally see light at the end of the tunnel,” said Jeff Johnson of the Department of Development.

City leaders said getting infrastructure to this area is especially important because commercial developers have shied away from the area because of the lack of sewerage.

The tunnel has 12-inch sewer and water lines and a 4-inch gas main. It also has conduit for HU and the city to run fiber-optic lines.

Johnson said the lines have been hydro-static tested to ensure there were no leaks.

The city and HU will construct pylons to elevate sewer lines to the city’s property near I-65 and Alabama 36.

Aronov Realty, a Montgomery-based company that has completed and has ongoing projects in North Alabama, has signed a $2.2 million option for the city’s property.

The development and management company was established in 1952 and has used Publix to anchor most of its developments.

The contract with Aronov is for 330 days, with an option to extend the contract for 90 days, provided the company makes a $10,000 non-refundable deposit.

Aronov did not have any planned development for the property when it signed the contract in September. But without the infrastructure improvements, the company wouldn’t have signed the contract.

Mayor Dwight Tankersley said getting sewer service to the property was a must.

To get to this point, Hartselle employed a seldom-used provision in the public works bid law that lets governmental entities reject bids and negotiate a forced account.

The process essentially lets the city hire the low bidder to work for Hartselle.

The council opted for that after the low bid was more than $1 million above the city’s budget. The scope of the project was reduced from $1.6 million to about $835,000. HU is absorbing part of the cost because the utility is running a gas and water line through the tunnel.

In addition to commercial growth in the area, John Dumas is developing Heritage Heights, an 89-unit single-family residential project near Alabama 36 and East Byrd Road.

Dumas opted against using septic systems when Hartselle announced it was bringing sewer to the area.