By Erik Harris, sports editor
ARGO — The Argo City Council on Monday night passed a motion authorizing Mayor Betty Bradley to apply for a grant, which could allow the city to improve traffic flow coming off I-59 Exit 148.
“The grant we’re talking about is the improvement to the parkway at Exit 148 to try to alleviate that traffic from backing up on the interstate… and to put an acceleration lane in,” said Bradley.
Bradley says traffic buildup has been a problem for drivers coming off I-59 in Argo for some time now.
The Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) is an ALDOT administered federal aid highway program that funds up to 80% of the construction of important roadway projects. Local sponsors of eligible projects are expected to provide at least 20% of the project construction cost.
Argo applied for the ATRIP grant last year and did not get it.
“It came up again this year and I would like for us to resubmit that application again,” said Bradley to the council.
Monday’s meeting was the last for the current council, as four newly elected councilmembers are scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 2. Current councilmembers Ann Cowan and Corky Massey were recognized for their four years of service on Monday night.
“I would like to thank the outgoing council for their dedication to the city, for the time they spent on this council; we may not have all agreed on everything, but I think everybody had their heart in it and tried to do the best job they could for the city,” said Bradley.
New members Dennis Griffin, Michael Hicks, Dusty Stinson and Danny McCarley will join incumbents Ann Brown and Bradley for a swearing-in ceremony on Nov. 2.