On October 31, Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter returned to his hometown of Rainsville to welcome Governor Kay Ivey to the Tom Bevill Center as she made one of her last stops of the Rebuild Alabama Road Tour. There, a large group of community members met to greet the Governor and celebrate the announcement of the $225,000 grant award she brought to Rainsville as a result of the Rebuild Alabama project.
Ivey thanked Speaker Ledbetter, Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston, Rainsville Mayor Rodger Lingerfelt, and the Rainsville City Council for their crucial role in making the day possible. Ivey told the crowd, “Rebuilding Alabama’s roads and bridges takes a team after all. When I took office in 2017, improving infrastructure was a top priority for us. At that time, we had not increased our investment in infrastructure in 30 years. That had to change.”
Ivey continued, “ Because of the passage of the Rebuild Alabama Act, the state has embarked on more than 350 road projects in all 67 counties. The latest round of project awards is making possible the much-needed resurfacing of Dilbeck Road from Church Ave. N.W. to State Route 75 in Dekalb County. In total, the latest round of investments is creating 11 more new projects stretching from here in Rainsville to Chilton County to the Wiregrass. Ladies and gentlemen, we are building Alabama in all 67 counties, and we are not putting the brakes on it anytime soon.”
Leader Livingston, Speaker Ledbetter, and Mayor Lingerfelt spoke, thanking the Governor for her vision and leadership. Ledbetter said, “Gov. Ivey’s vision and leadership leads us to truly one of the most transformational pieces of legislation the state has ever seen. Make no mistake about it: Rebuild Alabama has changed our state forever.”
Ledbetter explained that, through funds acquired from the Rebuild Alabama Act, the DeKalb County Commission has invested over $5.6 million over the last five years in 143 road and bridge projects. These investments have led to significant improvements in our local infrastructure, reducing travel times and enhancing safety. In addition, DeKalb County cities have invested over $1 million, further contributing to the betterment of our community.
Ledbetter added, “Since the passage of Rebuild Alabama five years ago, Alabama has moved from ranking 47th in the nation for roads and bridges to a spot in the top ten.”
