WASHINGTON COUNTY, AL — Washington County has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the Alabama Forestry Commission as part of the inaugural Rural Bridge Grant initiative, a program established under the Rural Logging Efficiency Act of 2023.

The county was one of only six in Alabama to receive the grant, which is specifically designed to upgrade rural, county-maintained bridges that are weight-restricted or structurally deficient.

The primary objective of the program is to improve transportation routes for the forestry and timber industry, as substandard bridges often force costly rerouting of logging operations. The timber industry is a major economic driver in Washington County and across rural Alabama.

The Washington County Road and Bridge Department will use the funds, along with local matching contributions, to replace or upgrade targeted bridges within the county's road network.

Currently, Alabama has 545 bridges classified as structurally deficient, representing approximately 3.4% of the state's total bridge inventory. The Rural Bridge Grant initiative aims to address the most critical of these structures in rural communities.

The county's Road and Bridge Department conducts routine maintenance including road grading, paving, signage, and bridge inspections. The grant funding represents a significant boost to the department's infrastructure improvement capabilities.