October 31, Rainsville, AL — Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter welcomed Governor Kay Ivey to his hometown of Rainsville, with a gathering at the Tom Bevill Center. The event marked one of the final stops on the Governor’s Rebuild Alabama Road Tour and included the announcement of a $225,000 grant awarded to the town as part of the Rebuild Alabama project.
During her speech, Governor Ivey expressed gratitude for the teamwork that has driven the project’s success, acknowledging Speaker Ledbetter, Senate Majority Leader Steve Livingston, Rainsville Mayor Rodger Lingerfelt, and the Rainsville City Council. “Rebuilding Alabama’s roads and bridges takes a team,” Ivey said. “When I took office in 2017, infrastructure improvement was a top priority. At that time, we had not increased our investment in infrastructure in 30 years, and that had to change.”
She highlighted the extensive impact of the Rebuild Alabama Act, noting that over 350 road projects have been initiated across Alabama’s 67 counties. Among them is the upcoming resurfacing of Dilbeck Road in DeKalb County, connecting Church Ave. N.W. to State Route 75. The latest round of project awards will create 11 additional projects, extending from Rainsville to Chilton County and the Wiregrass region. “We are building Alabama in all 67 counties, and we’re not putting the brakes on it anytime soon,” Ivey affirmed.
Speaker Ledbetter, alongside Livingston and Lingerfelt, praised the Governor’s leadership and vision. “Gov. Ivey’s leadership has brought about one of the most transformational pieces of legislation our state has seen,” Ledbetter said. “Rebuild Alabama has changed our state forever.”
Ledbetter outlined the tangible benefits seen in DeKalb County, where the County Commission has invested over $5.6 million in 143 road and bridge projects through Rebuild Alabama funds. This significant investment has enhanced local infrastructure, reduced travel times, and improved safety. In addition, city governments within DeKalb County have contributed over $1 million to further these improvements.
“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,” Ledbetter noted, emphasizing the long-lasting impact of the initiative on the state’s infrastructure and quality of life.
