City officials have prepared new parking areas for visitors to the Jam on Sloss Lake Fourth of July celebration.
About 20 acres of city-owned land across Alabama 24 from the entrance to Sloss Lake have been cleared to provide additional parking.
Officials estimate that as many as 15,000 people attended last year’s Independence Day celebration and hope to have that many or more this year.
“The city owns this land and its perfect for what we need here,” said City Councilman Lanny Hubbard.
Russellville Fire Chief Joe Mansell helped secure the use of buses through the Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments, which will be used to transport visitors across Alabama 24 to the staging area throughout the day.
Mansell said designated handicapped areas will also be set up to assist those who need them.
In front of the parking area, an area will be reserved for spectators who wish to set up chairs or tents and watch the fireworks show from that side of Alabama 24.
“The mayor and city council have really helped this become something special since they started it a few years ago and it just keeps growing every year,” Mansell said.
The additional parking should help accommodate more visitors and the use of city personnel will help make sure that motorists along Alabama 24 as well as spectators are safe.
“People can make plans to come out there and spend all day or come out early and leave for a while before coming back,” Hubbard said. “The city departments have all done a good job making sure that everyone should be accommodated.”