Submitted by the City of Gadsden
Mayor Craig Ford was notified Tuesday, Jan. 20 that the State of Alabama has awarded Gadsden $2 million in grant funding to improve the intersection of Highway 431 and College Parkway with a focus on safety.
“We appreciate Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama Department of Transportation Director John Cooper’s support and selection of this project,” said Ford. “We want our citizens and people driving down Highway 431 to be safe in Gadsden, and this grant will address some of the issues with this intersection.”
The funding comes through ALDOT’s Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program-II (ATRIP-II), which addresses critical needs with roads and bridges across the state.
The City of Gadsden has been conducting widespread analysis on street safety through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, and the intersection of Highway 431 and College Parkway emerged as one of the top areas for crashes.
With funding from ATRIP-II, along with a local match of $342,000, the City will take steps to improve safety, which may include lane shifts, adjusting access to a shopping center at the intersection, and improving visibility and sight issues for drivers.
“Heath Williamson, our director of engineering, and the entire Engineering Department do a fantastic job for us. This is a great example of identifying a problem and then finding funding to address the issue,” Ford said.
