Counties receive fewer highway funds

Colbert County - Commissioners were informed Tuesday that the county road department will have less money to work with this fiscal year because Congress has yet to approve a new federal highway bill.

Colbert County Engineer John Bedford said there will be about $195,000 less to resurface county roads, replace bridges or complete other types of road maintenance in 2010.

Instead of the normal $533,000 allocation the county receives from the federal government, Colbert and the other 66 Alabama counties will receive $339,000 in federal aid funds.

The notification came from Alabama Transportation Director Joe McInnes. Federal money bound for county road departments is distributed by the department of transportation.

"The state said they were spreading the reduction in available funds across the board," Bedford said.

In a letter to county engineers, State Transportation Engineer D.E. Phillips Jr. said the federal government was reducing the amount of aid it provides to the states because the federal government hasn't enacted new transportation funding legislation.

Bedford said he has been eyeing some potential projects, but none of the federal aid money has been allocated.

"Is the money needed? Absolutely," Bedford said.

Franklin County Engineer David Palmer said the reduction will have the same effect in his county, but Palmer appears optimistic the counties will get the remainder of their normal

allocations.

"Right now, that's what we're getting as of today," Palmer said. "I feel like when the highway bill is finally passed, we'll get the other $200,000, but that's not a guarantee.

"You take what you've got and do the best with it."

In his letter, Phillips said he hoped future federal highway funding extensions will correct the shortfall and restore funding to its 2009 levels.

Russ Corey can be reached at 740-5738 or russ.corey@TimesDaily.com.