Tuskegee to get $764,320 grant to help drainage issues

Tuskegee will be getting a $764,320 grant to fix several drainage issues at 10 locations across the city.

Gov. Kay Ivey made the announcement that Tuskegee would be getting the money from the Appalachian Regional Commission , which is a federal-state partnership group.

Many of the stormwater drainage problems were noticed in 2016 when heavy rains pelted the area. Those problems and related damage have worsened over the years, city leaders said.

“Residents of Tuskegee deserve adequate drainage from their streets and sidewalks during rainy weather, and this project will help the city make multiple repairs needed to fix these issues,” Gov. Ivey said in a statement. “I am pleased to play a role in this project, and I commend local leaders for working to find the grant funding needed for the improvements.”

The city of Tuskegee is undertaking the project to ensure proper stormwater drainage throughout the city and to prevent further damage to city infrastructure and roads. Work will entail cleaning and restoring ditches and gutters to ensure proper water runoff along with repairing streets, curbing and sidewalk damaged by overflowing water.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administers the ARC program in Alabama.

ARC is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments. The agency’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation. Thirty-seven Alabama counties, including Macon County, are part of the ARC region and eligible for funds.

ADECA manages a range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, recreation, energy conservation and water resource management.

— Information from ADECA