Red Bay gets $350K grant for roadwork
RED BAY — Mayor Charlene Fancher said she’s very happy the State Department of Transportation approved a Rebuild Alabama Grant that will allow the city to pave two roads that are busy corridors in the western Franklin County city.
Gov. Kay Ivey has announced that Red Bay is receiving $350,000 in Rebuild Alabama money. The funds are part of $3.7 million in state funding being awarded to cities and counties for 12 highway improvement projects.
Red Bay is providing $127,485 in matching funds toward the project for a total cost of $$477,485.
“This is our second attempt to apply for this Rebuild Alabama money,” Fancher said. “Paving grants aren’t plentiful and there’s a lot of competition. We’ve very happy to get this grant.
“Red Bay thanks Gov. Ivey and Rep. Jamie Kiel, and engineer Rod Hawkins, for this opportunity.”
The grant will be used to resurface portions of Winne Frost Drive and Ninth Street West for a total of 1.53 miles.
Fancher said Ninth Street West serves two businesses new to Red Bay, Girard Awning and across the street, Happy Hollow Outdoors.
The mayor said even before those two new businesses opened Ninth Street West was in dire need of repairs. Ninth Street West is known locally as Water Plant Road.
“It had a lot of utility work and now there’s a lot more traffic with the industry and Happy Hollow Outdoors,” the mayor said. “And it’s also a connector to Highway 24.”
She said Winne Frost Drive is also a connector between downtown Red Bay and Alabama 24.
“It’s a very busy street,” Fancher said. “It takes all types of traffic, including heavy trucks.”
The mayor said both streets are two-lane roads.
“I am very appreciative of Mayor Charlene Fancher and the Red Bay City Council for persistently applying for grants to improve their city,” said District 18 State Rep. Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville. “Mayor Fancher has received multiple grants to bring new industry, assist current industry, and improve the roads for the citizens of Red Bay. I am thankful to Gov. Ivey for this grant.”
The grants are the second round of funding made available this year under the Transportation Department’s annual grant program through the Rebuild Alabama Act.
“Rebuild Alabama is doing exactly what we promised, fixing roads and bridges in every corner of our state,” Ivey said.
