HANCEVILLE — Alabama’s gas tax-funded road improvements are set to make their first real showing in Cullman County, thanks to the announcement of a $250,000 paving project in the City of Hanceville slated to commence later this year.

Alabama House Rep. Randall Shedd (R-Fairview) shared via a press release that two infrastructure projects in his district — one in Blount County; the other in Hanceville — will receive a combined half-million dollars in the current round of statewide funding from the Rebuild Alabama program.

Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama Transportation Director John Cooper revealed the first wave of funding for transportation projects approved for early 2020 this week, including a $250,000 apportionment for Hanceville to repave and repair drainage pathways along Commercial Street.

The project, said Hanceville mayor Kenneth Nail, will repair a lingering problem with storm water drainage, as well as resurface the roadway, along the portion of Commercial Street that extends from U.S. Highway 31 downtown to a point just past the Hanceville Civic Center.

“We really appreciate Representative Shedd and Senator (Garlan) Gudger helping us get this project funded,” said Nail Friday. “The legislators who supported Gov. Ivey’s gas tax really took a beating from some people, and it really took a lot of guts for them to support the gas tax knowing the reception it would get from some people. Our street department budget is usually around $100,000 per year, so it goes without saying that this is a project our city never would have been able to do without the funds we’ll be getting now.”

Hanceville city clerk Tania Wilcox said Friday that the funding will require a 10 percent match of $25,000 from the city, with the state-apportioned money filling in the remainder. In addition to the Hanceville project, the Blount County Commission also received $250,000 to resurface roads in the Royal community.

“These funds are in addition to the regular road and bridge funding going to cities and counties from the Rebuild Alabama Act,” Shedd said via the press release.

“The four counties I represent will receive more than $50 million of new money [over] the next ten years for road and bridges in regular funding at their discretion. These projects are in addition to their regular funding…I want to thank Governor Ivey and Director Cooper for approving these two funding applications.”