Alabama gets $10.8 million to replace bridges along I-85

Alabama is to get $10.8 million to replace bridges, thanks to a federal grant, it was announced Thursday. 

The three pairs of bridges along I-85 in Opelika are to be replaced through a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, part of the $225 million being granted through the Competitive Highway Bridge Program for 20 projects in 18 states, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation press release. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao in the Thursday press release said the grants will fund a variety of bridge improvements, including replacement and rehabilitation.

“The projects funded under the program will serve as models for similar bridge improvement projects throughout the nation,” said Federal Highway Administrator Nicole Nason. “They are examples of how to achieve time and cost savings through innovation.”

According to the American Road and Transportation Building Association, of the 16,130 bridges in Alabama, 689 are structurally deficient.