Guard rails will make portions of two Covington County roads, thanks to a $341,953 grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Assistant County Engineer Ron Weidler said that ALDOT requested applications for funds for the High Risk Rural Road Program from the counties, cities and towns in the state throughout a memorandum dated May 31, 2018. The local application was made in July 2018.

“ALDOT allocated a portion of federal funds ($4,537,476) to establish a HRRRP for fiscal year 2019,” Weidler said. “Kyle Adams, District 4 Commissioner, expressed interest in submitting application for the grant that has since been awarded for County Road 21. The engineer’s office made application for three additional projects with the County Road 4 project receiving funding.”

The first of the two projects funded will be on County Road 4, Paper Company Road, between County Road 16, Union Road, and Alabama Hwy. 55. The engineer’s department will install guardrails and guardrail end anchors to six existing bridge culverts. Grant funds totaling $192,618 will be used for this project.

The second project will be located on County Road 21, Ard Creek Road, beginning at the bridge crossing Camp Creek, and extending north for approximately 1,600 feet. The proposed improvements include widening the road to provide paved shoulders and resurfacing the roadway. The paved shoulders will also be scored to provide rumble strips. Guardrails and guardrail end treatments will also be added to the bridge on that road. This project received $149,335.61 from the grant.

Weidler said that the projects should take less than 30 calendar days to complete.

“The projects will have to go through a plan and review,” Weidler said. “We will start bidding in September 2019.”

The county commission will provide a 10 percent match of $38,000.