Sanders Announces Funding for Six County Unpaved Road Projects

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Arkansas Department of Agriculture today announced more than $327,000 in state funding and more than $529,000 in local matching funds for six county projects through the Arkansas Unpaved Roads Program (AURP).

Each of the six projects receiving funding aim to protect water quality, enhance stormwater management, and improve drainage along Arkansas' county roads.

"In rural Arkansas, county roads are the critical infrastructure families use to drive every day to work, school, church, and home," said Governor Sanders. "By investing in county road improvements, we're making travel safer and ensuring communities across our state stay connected."

"Strong county infrastructure is essential for Arkansas communities, and these projects demonstrate what can be achieved when local and state partners work together," said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. "Today's announcement by Governor Sanders reflects our shared commitment to strengthening rural roads and supporting the people who rely on them every day."

"This Program protects the Natural States' natural resources and comprehensive network of unpaved roads while making travel safer and fostering the vibrant economy Arkansans need," said County Judges' Association of Arkansas President, Faulkner County Judge Allen Dodson. "Arkansas' counties thank Governor Sanders and Secretary Ward for making long term investments for Arkansas' future."

The projects receiving funding are below:

• Calhoun County - $75,000 to elevate 1,800 feet of roadway by 4.5 feet, install two 4-by-8-foot concrete box culverts, and add six round culverts of varying sizes to improve water conveyance.
• Dallas County - $50,248 to elevate 1,500 feet of roadway by 1 to 2 feet, install three 72-inch smooth-bottom arch culverts, and add ten 36-inch round culverts to improve water conveyance.
• Independence County - $59,217 to rebuild approximately 2,400 feet of roadway using subsoil stabilization, reshape existing ditches into U-shaped channels with ditch checks to slow water flow, and install eight 36-inch cross pipes to improve drainage.
• Searcy County - $35,937 to resurface 3,706 feet of roadway with six inches of new crowned material, install twelve new cross pipes to improve drainage, and add ditch checks to help slow water flow.
• Sevier County - $31,724 to replace undersized round culverts with a 6-by-12-foot bottomless concrete box culvert and install four 24-inch round culverts to capture and divert ditch water before it reaches the stream.
• Sharp County - $75,000 to replace the existing low-water slab with a new 31-by-21-foot free-span bridge, raise 1,525 feet of roadbed by 6 to 12 inches, and install four cross pipes to improve drainage.

The Arkansas Unpaved Roads Technical Committee, composed of representatives from federal, state, and local agencies, reviews and recommends all projects.

Established in 2015, the AURP partners with county judges and local road crews to improve unpaved county roads and reduce sediment entering Arkansas' water sources. The program receives $300,000 in annual state special revenue from the Solid Waste Management and Recycling Fund and is supplemented by federal grant funding and local matching funds. Since its inception, the program has leveraged over $3.8 million in state funding alongside $1.7 million in federal funding and $6.7 million in local matching funds, resulting in more than $12.3 million invested in unpaved road improvements.

Learn more about the Arkansas Unpaved Roads Program here.

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