By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Gov. Kay Ivey recently marked her seventh year in office by announcing that more than $7.9 million in state funding, including money to put new surfaces on five Atmore streets, has been awarded to Alabama communities and counties for various road and bridge projects.
The funds, from the Alabama Department of Transportation’s (ALDOT) set-aside of a portion of the state’s share of new gas tax revenue, includes $250,000 for new surfaces on portions of Industrial Drive, Maple Drive, Trammell Street, Filmore Drive and Beck Street, a total of .94 miles.
City Clerk Becca Smith said the city would be required to pay $68,200 in matching funds, bringing the total cost of the badly needed paving project to $318,200.
“These are some roads and streets that really need new surfaces,” Smith said. “Maple Street really needs it, so I’m glad to see that it’s on there.”
According to a press release issued by the governor, the Atmore appropriation is the only money earmarked for Escambia County.
Ivey pushed for passage of the Rebuild Alabama Act, which created the annual grant program from which the latest round of funding comes. The Rebuild Alabama Act, which became law in 2019, requires ALDOT to set aside a minimum of $10 million annually from gas taxes to finance improvements and repairs to Alabama’s roads and bridges.
“I am thrilled to announce the significant allocation of over $7.9 million in state funding to address crucial road and bridge projects across our state,” the governor said. “From the onset of my tenure, improving Alabama’s roads has been my commitment, and this investment underscores our dedication to modernizing infrastructure and enhancing transportation networks to support our communities.”
She added that Rebuild Alabama is a key part of the state’s effort to “lay the critical foundation for a more prosperous Alabama.”
Cities and counties that accepted the awards agreed to contribute a total of over $3.3 million in local matching funds. It is anticipated that a number of the projects will be under contract by the end of this year, and all the grant-funded projects must be under way within a year of the formal awarding of funds.