Three different road improvement projects in Franklin County got one step closer to being completed after Governor Robert Bentley announced on Thursday that 105 road and bridge improvement projects across the state would be completed thanks to a new state program.
The funding for these projects is coming from the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP), which is the largest road and bridge improvement program in the history of Alabama.
The governor’s office said the improvements are designed to enhance safety and quality of life for people in communities across the state. The projects will also serve as an economic development tool since updated roads and bridges will help the state recruit additional jobs from companies that depend on a modern, solid infrastructure to transport goods.
“From large cities to rural areas, the people of this state deserve reliable, safe roads and bridges,” Bentley said. “School buses should not have to be detoured around substandard bridges. Communities need help improving roads that are currently over capacity or in need of various safety improvements.
“Also, companies depend on updated roads and bridges to help them safely conduct business and make deliveries. As we improve our infrastructure, we will improve the business climate in the state and make Alabama more attractive to businesses seeking to locate here and bring additional jobs.”
Bentley first introduced ATRIP in February and allowed cities and counties across the state to submit project proposals for the initial round of funding. Each application was analyzed by the Alabama Department of Transportation and eligible projects were reviews by an advisory committee before final decisions were made.
In Franklin County, the projects that were approved include resurfacing Jackson Avenue in Russellville from Tuscaloosa Street to Cotaco Street; adding turning lanes going into the Vina Industrial Park; and work on Gravel Hill Road and Franklin 16 that includes a full depth reclamation of Franklin 16 from Alabama 187 to Franklin 88 and asphalt leveling, resurfacing, striping and shoulder work on Gravel Hill Road from U.S. 43 to Alabama 187.
County Engineer David Palmer said the Highway Department applied for the grant for the roadwork on Gravel Hill Road and Franklin 16 because of the great need for improvements there and the high amount of traffic.
According to a traffic counter, Palmer said 977 vehicles travel on portions of those roads every day.
“This stretch of road is vitally important because it connects the west end of Franklin County to the east end, and in particular, to Northwest-Shoals Community College in Phil Campbell,” Palmer said. “There are many students who depend on this shortcut to get to school because driving all the way down Highway 24 and then down U.S. 43 would add 12 miles to the trip and a lot of extra time.
“This stretch of road is in bad shape, and these students and other country residents who depend on this artery to get them where they need to go know exactly how important this project is.”
The total cost of all three projects in Franklin County will be about $2.4 million; 80 percent of that cost will be covered through ATRIP through the use of GARVEE bonds from the Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles Bond Program.
Through the use of GARVEE bonds, Alabama is able to access future federal dollars now in order to pay for road and bridge projects that are needed immediately.
Bentley’s office said with interest rates on municipal bonds at historic lows, the use of GARVEE bonds makes strong financial sense as the low cost of borrowing is generally lower than the rising cost of inflation in construction projects.
“By using GARVEE bonds, we are able to make much-needed improvements without raising taxes,” Governor Bentley said.  “In addition, this program will create construction jobs across the state as projects move forward, and by making areas more attractive to prospective employers, the ATRIP program will help with the long-term recruitment of even more jobs in the future.”
The other 20 percent of the funding will have to come from the sponsoring municipality or county.
The city of Russellville will be responsible for the 20 percent match of $80,000 for resurfacing the portion of Jackson Avenue, and the town of Vina will be responsible for the near $30,000 matching funds to add the turning lanes going into the Vina Industrial Park.
In the case of the county’s biggest road project on Gravel Hill Road and Franklin 16 that will cost nearly $2 million, Palmer said the county would be able to meet their 20 percent match by utilizing a force account, which basically means the county will supply their own labor and equipment and they will be paid with state funds just as a contractor would be.
“We have to get innovative to compete against other cities and counties in the state for these grants because one of the stipulations is being able to come up with the matching funds,” Palmer said. “Utilizing the force account and using our own labor and equipment will help us match those funds that we wouldn’t have been able to come up with otherwise.”
According to the governor’s office, at least two additional rounds of funding are planned through ATRIP – one in the fall of this year and one in the spring of 2013.
Palmer said he would be submitting more projects for approval in the hopes that Franklin County can secure more ATRIP grants for much-needed projects.
“We’ve got plenty of things that we need to do in Franklin County, but our problem is just coming up with the funding for just the 20 percent match,” Palmer said. “It’s a real problem that we don’t have a consistent, reliable funding source for the county road system here, but I won’t let that stop us from applying for these grants.
“The ATRIP program is something that doesn’t come around every day. This is an amazing opportunity the governor and our legislature has given us to be able to handle the crisis we’re facing at the local level of keeping our roads up to par, and I am personally grateful to have state leaders that are recognizing what we’re facing and are willing to help us out.
“With that said, it would be a shame to miss out on this opportunity to have 80 percent of our approved projects funded just because we couldn’t come up with the 20 percent, so I’ll keep applying for these grants and keep looking for ways to come up with the matching funds.”