Governor Kay Ivey and the Alabama Department of Transportation last week announced which local municipalities would get a portion of more than $30 million from the increased state fuel tax.
About half of the cities and counties that applied and were approved for one or more of the 28 road and bridge projects put up matching local finds, totaling around $9.5 million, according to a press release from Ivey’s office last week. The Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II funding doesn’t require matching funds, however.
“An investment in our roads and bridges is an investment in the future of Alabama,” Ivey said in the release. “I am proud to see projects resulting from the Rebuild Alabama Act already getting off the ground. Soon, every Alabama citizen will feel the benefits from this additional investment in our infrastructure.”
The funding is made available through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II (ATRIP-II), a new program created under the Rebuild Alabama Act. The Rebuild Alabama Act requires ATRIP-II to be an annual program setting aside a minimum of $30 million off the top of ALDOT’s share of new gas tax revenue for projects of local interest on the state highway system.
The Rebuild Alabama Act, signed into law by Ivey in March, is expected to raise about $320 million a year The initial 6 cent increase that hit pumps on Sept. 1 will be followed by another 2 cent increase in 2020 and 2 cents in 2021.
State officials say the 28 projects are expected to be under contract during the 2020 fiscal year, and are required by law to move forward within two years.
For more information about the ATRIP-II Program, visit here and to see a list of the 28 projects visit here.
