May 18, 2013
$5 million in federal funding has been allocated for the Interstate 10 Connector project in the Wiregrass. The announcement was made Thursday afternoon by U.S. Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions, along with Congressman Terry Everett of Enterprise.
Senator Shelby released a statement Thursday night, saying the connector would greatly improve access and traffic flow through southeastern Alabama.
Dothan Chamber of Commerce President Matt Parker was in Washington, D.C. when the announcement was made. In a telephone interview, Parker said, "Thank you to the Senate and Congressional delegations for their hard work. A special thanks to Senator Richard Shelby. The unified efforts of all those involved will help continue to move this project forward." Parker says Senator Shelby was the key person in securing the federal funds.”
He also thanked Senator Jeff Sessions and Congressman Terry Everett, saying the funds are a result of their cooperative efforts.
The $5 million will pay for preliminary engineering for the Interstate 10 Connector. The federal funding was approved as part of the 2003 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The federal spending bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for a final vote, and then on to the President's desk.
