After sitting idle for several years, the two bridges to nowhere along Alabama 157 in Cullman will find a purpose.

While those bridges have been a source of frustration, the greater issue has been the legitimate need to four-lane the remaining 3.5 miles from just past U.S. 31 to Cullman Regional and beyond.

The good news arrived Friday when Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs, joined by several local, state and federal officials, announced that a $14.2 million grant had been awarded to the city to complete the four-laning.

The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation and is made available as part of the DOT’s Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant program, which focuses on economic development and infrastructure upgrades.

From the federal level, U.S. Sens. Richard Shelby and Doug Jones and Congressman Robert Aderholt were recognized for their efforts in securing the funds. The success of this application is also a story of tremendous cooperation among elected leaders and economic development staff working together and engaging with state lawmakers, the governor’s office and the Alabama Department of Transportation.

While the highway is in north Cullman, the value of the project extends across the county and beyond.

The immediate benefit is making access to Cullman Regional better. The health care facility and medical offices surrounding its campus draw residents from across the region and are valuable aspects of the local economy and quality of life available here.

Some additional preliminary work will be done in 2019, with the physical project beginning in 2020. Unlike many highway projects, this job will not last for decades. The federal funds must be spent by 2025.

A lot of people are applauding the awarding of the grant, which will go toward the total $28 million project. And we’re sure a few weeks into the roadwork, there will be complaints about detours and inconveniences. That’s to be expected on such a busy thoroughfare. Everyone will need to stay focus on the end results.

What can’t be seen at this time is the potential that widening the highway will have on our economy.

The improvement of such a busy highway will undoubtedly open new opportunities for retail, housing and perhaps larger developments creating more employment.

Whenever a road is expanded, growth follows.

Jacobs and state Sen. Garlan Gudger stressed the value of the cooperation among a vast lineup of officials to make the project possible. Their point should settle well.

The teamwork and unity needed to continue growth in a highly-competitive age of economic development has finally led to funding for an important project for the entire community.

That’s what we like to term as “good news” for those who live in Cullman County.