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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey visited Chilton County on Oct. 18 after recently awarding the county with funds to resurface County Road 23 through the Rebuild Alabama initiative. (DAWN HARRISON | CONTRIBUTED)

Chilton County Commission Chairman Randell Kelley spoke to the crowd about the impact Rebuild Alabama has had on the county since it started in 2019. (DAWN HARRISON | CONTRIBUTED)

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey waves to the crowd in attendance for the press conference held on the campus of Jefferson State Community College Chilton-Clanton. (DAWN HARRISON | CONTRIBUTED)

The most recent round of funds from the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Annual Grant Program will add 11 more projects to the growing list made possible by the Rebuild Alabama initiative. (DAWN HARRISON | CONTRIBUTED)

Alabama 42nd District Rep. Van Smith was in attendance for the press conference and spoke to the crowd. (DAWN HARRISON | CONTRIBUTED)

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey visited Chilton County on Oct. 18 as part of her Rebuild Alabama Road Tour to highlight recent funding granted to the county for a road resurfacing project. $350,000 in state funding from the Alabama Department of Transportation’s Annual Grant Program was awarded to Chilton County to resurface County Road 23 from U.S. Highway 31 to the Chilton/Elmore County line, around 4.3 miles of road. A press conference was held on the campus of Jefferson State Community College Chilton-Clanton to celebrate the project where Ivey was joined on stage by Alabama Sen. Clyde Chambliss, Alabama 42nd District Rep. Van Smith and Chilton County Commission Chairman Randell Kelley.

“Rebuilding Alabama’s roads and bridges takes a team,” Ivey said. “In the latest round of project awards, we are making possible a much-needed resurfacing of County Road 23 right here in Chilton County, more than four miles worth. We are rebuilding Alabama in all 67 counties, and we are not putting the brakes on any time soon. We all know that better roads mean a safer and more prosperous Alabama.”

The project funds came in the third round of funding issued from ALDOT’s Annual Grant Program that issued $3.1 million in state funding to various road and bridge projects across Alabama. The third-round funding adds 11 more projects, including the one on County Road 23, to the growing list of projects made possible by the Rebuild Alabama initiative. The County Road 23 project will cost $1,232,370 to complete. With the state providing the $350,000, the local match amount will be $882,370.

“We appreciate this and appreciate the leadership in so many areas — education has a rolling reserve, the general fund has a reserve, and that is frugal government and being appropriate with the funds that you send in the way of taxes,” Smith said. “When projects like this where the county and city can really benefit from, that is the way government is supposed to work, so we certainly appreciate the leadership.”

The Rebuild Alabama Act was passed in 2019 and requires ALDOT to establish an annual program where a minimum of $10 million off the top of the state’s share of gas tax revenue is set aside for local projects. In the 2024 fiscal year, it was the first year that ALDOT funded the Annual Grant Program above the $10 million requirement, awarding more than $15 million during the period.

Since 2019, Rebuild Alabama has issued around $1.5 million in funds to Chilton County each year. Overall, the county has received around $7 million from Rebuild Alabama that has paved over 35 miles of roads and addressed bridge repairs.

“This makes our roads safer, safer for our kids that ride the school bus and these roads are made wider,” Kelley said. “We certainly want to thank everyone that had a part in Rebuild Alabama, and thank you Governor Ivey and everyone that passed this bill, for doing the right thing.”

The project on County Road 23 is expected to start before the end of the calendar year.

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