MONTGOMERY— Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $200,000 to assist Winston County in restoring access along a county road where a section collapsed and has been closed to travel for several months.
The Community Development Block Grant will help fund the installation of a concrete bridge on County Road 54 near Haleyville. The road has been closed since February when heavy rains caused drainage pipes to collapse, resulting in a washout of about a 100-foot-long section of the road. The closure means many residents and customers of businesses along the road must take a 10-mile detour.
“Natural disasters can unfortunately happen rather suddenly, but I commend Winston County leaders for taking all the proper measures with this road, beginning with the quick closure of this road to ensure safety and for developing a plan to rebuild the damaged section,” Gov. Ivey said. “I am pleased to assist with this project that will result in a safer and better road for residents.”
The county will install a single-span, precast concrete bridge over what is the backwater of Bear Creek Lake. The bridge will enable better water runoff during rains than the previous drainage pipes and mean it will be less likely that water flow will be hindered by debris or other water blockages.
County officials expect the bridge and road reconstruction will take about 120 days once construction begins.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
“ADECA is pleased to join with Gov. Ivey to assist Winston County in this project to restore a vital road for area residents and businesses,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.
Gov. Ivey notified Roger Hayes, chairman of the Winston County Commission, that the grant had been approved. The county is providing about $231,500 in local funds for the project.
ADECA administers an array of programs supporting law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, water resource management and recreation development.
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