Special to Elmore Autauga News
The citizenry usually benefits when governments work together to improve services.
That’s the case with many road projects in west Elmore County and the City of Millbrook ever since the Rebuild Alabama funds became available. “I’ve never seen the city and the county work so closely together and accomplish so much. Millbrook and Elmore County are getting things done I’m very proud to say,” Millbrook Mayor Al Kelley said.
The Rebuild Alabama funds are a result of 2019 legislation also known as the gas tax. The state legislative representation for Elmore County split its vote. Senator Clyde Chambliss and Representative Reed Ingram voted for the Rebuild Alabama funds. House members Will Dismukes and Mike Holmes along with Senator Will Barfoot voted against the legislation.
“If we didn’t have the Rebuild Alabama funds we would have never been able to start these projects this soon,” Elmore County District Four Commissioner Bart Mercer said. “The Rebuild Alabama funds have helped to match federal funds so that enough overall funding is available for some critical projects.”
One of those projects where Rebuild Alabama funds helped to bring in funds from the federal government was Deatsville Highway. The project has been complete for several months and has improved travel for the high usage transportation artery. “We are trying to use every resource we can. One example is the Deatsville Highway project. We have used the reclaimed asphalt from that road to help provide an improved base layer on some currently unpaved roads. It improves serviceability of the road and saves the taxpayers money,” Mercer explained.
Joint projects provide many benefits to the area. Whether it’s the collaborative effort of Browns Rd where the City of Millbrook secured federal funds through the Montgomery Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the County helped execute and administer the project on the city’s behalf to projects like Oak Tree Road where the City and County are using Rebuild Alabama funds to resurface their respective ends of the road through a common contract.
The City of Millbrook has finished the Magnolia Road project, which is the road off of Highway 14 in the vicinity of Tractor Supply and Duncan’s Automotive.
The county also saved taxpayers money when it waited to collect the Rebuild Alabama money before started projects. Starting projects immediately would require borrowing money and paying interest. The County is also leveraging its capabilities to prepare roads for improvements so the maximum effects can be realized from the new Rebuild Funds. One example of this effort is where the County is repairing base and drainage issues in preparation for a joint project with the Town of Elmore on Mercer Rd. Similar work is also being performed on Countryside Lane, Meadowview Drive, and Brookfield Drive as they will also be resurfaced by the County as part of the County’s initial round of Rebuild projects. In addition, the County will also be performing projects with federal dollars on Meherg Road, Flatwood Road and Flatwood Curve near the Town of Elmore.
Counties and municipalities are faced with the daunting task of maintaining roads and bridges. Industry standards suggest local governments should resurface their roads every fifteen years at minimum while bridges should be scheduled to be replaced or require major rehabilitation every fifty years. For Elmore County to meet those suggested schedules on its county road and bridge network, it would cost over an additional $10 million every year. “It’s a major undertaking and a major concern – all of the time,” Mercer said.
“You always wonder if you can keep infrastructure up to date. It’s tough. Hardly anyone understands the money that is required,” Kelley stated.
