Road work planned for Presley Street, which includes a new paving project, will begin next week, according to Mayor Jim Staff.

The upgrades to Presley Street, between U.S. Highway 31 and Alabama Highway 21, are part of a grant handed down from Gov. Robert Bentley as part of the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement (ATRIP) initiative, the largest road and bridge improvement program in Alabama history.

The first wave of the project, which Bentley announced in 2012, included the resurfacing work to Presley Street, as well as the replacement of a bridge and the resurfacing of Atmosphere Road in Poarch.

Under the ATRIP program, cities and counties were able to submit project proposals for the initial round of funding – 80 percent of which is provided by the sate of Alabama through the federal Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles Bond Program (GARVEE) bonds.

Under the GARVEE system, the state is able to access future federal funds in order to pay for road and bridge projects needed immediately. The remaining 20 percent of the cost of approved first phase projects must be provided by either local government or through a local public-private partnership. The ability of the applicant to cover the 20 percent gap also played a role in the approval of ATRIP projects.

Improvements to Presley Street will cost a total of $513,893.60, with ATRIP providing $411,114.88, leaving the local cost at $102,778.72, according to figures released at the time of the announcement.

At the time of the announcement, then-Atmore Mayor Howard Shell said the city submitted applications for all roads dubbed by the state as “collector” roads – or roads that shoulder a heavy amount of traffic and/or connect major state and U.S. highways. Of those roads, Shell said, only Presley was selected for first phase improvements.

Staff said work on Presley Street will begin with improvements to curbs, including adding handicap designations where needed.
Staff said he anticipates the work on Presley Street to be completed in approximately three weeks.