Chilton County was among counties throughout Alabama participating in a statewide status report of road and bridge projects being funded through the $1 billion project known as Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP) Wednesday.

County engineer Tony Wearren updated the status for the 20 projects to be completed throughout Chilton County within the next two years for both municipalities and the county.

Originally, Chilton County entered the ATRIP program with three projects in Phase 1 approved.

During the Dec. 10, 2012, Chilton County Commission meeting, commissioners voted to participate in the Rural Assistance Match Program (RAMP) where counties and cities are eligible to receive as much as $1 million in state funds to match an additional $4 million in federal funds.

RAMP allows Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) to sell bonds to provide the local match for participating counties and cities.

Counties taking part in RAMP previously had no projects, or only limited projects, as part of ATRIP due to limited local funds.

“RAMP didn’t require the matching funds we would have had to come up with if we continued under ATRIP,” Wearren said.

Chilton County received $5 million for projects to be completed under the RAMP program.

In all, 22 counties were eligible to participate in RAMP based on current local funding needs.

Gov. Robert Bentley announced in May that 254 RAMP projects were expected to be completed in Alabama bringing the total number of road and bridge improvements in the state under ATRIP to 693.

Wearren said out of the 20 projects approved for the county, the only completed project has been the resurfacing of County Road 59 from CSX railroad to County Road 24 under ATRIP.

The 17 remaining projects approved under RAMP will be completed within the next two years.

RAMP allows additional counties to take part in Bentley’s statewide road improvement initiative of ATRIP.

All 67 Alabama counties have now received ATRIP projects since Bentley established the program in 2012.

Below is a list of the remaining projects to be completed throughout the county through ATRIP:

•Resurface Lake Mitchell Road from Interstate 65 to Nell Street in Clanton.

•Resurface County Road 42 from U.S. Highway 31 to Interstate 65 in Jemison.

Projects to be completed under RAMP include:

•Bridge on County Road 2 (Jim Bleseter Road) over Mahan Creek (Chilton County)

•Bridge on County Road 255 (Johnny McKinney Road) over River Branch (Chilton County).

•Bridge on County Road 32 over Walnut Creek (Chilton County).

•Bridge on County Road 535 over Mountain Creek (Chilton County).

•Bridge on County Road 232 (Old Maplesville Road) over Benson Creek (Chilton County).

•Bridge on County Road 478 (Dixie Camp Road) over Cargile Creek (Chilton County).

•Bridge on County Road 822 over Flat Branch (Chilton County).

•Bridge on County Road 214 (Kieser Morgan Road) over Spur Mulberry Creek (Chilton County).

•Resurfacing County Road 29 (Chilton County).

•Resurfacing County Road 48 (Chilton County).

•Resurfacing County Road 54 (Chilton County).

•Resurfacing County Road 73 (Chilton County).

•Add culvert on County Road 42 (Jemison).

•Resurfacing Highway 22 bypass (Maplesville).

•Resurfacing County Road 50 (Thorsby).

•Add turn lanes on County Road 42 and County Road 44 (Jemison).

•Resurfacing on Medical Center Drive (Thorsby).

Wearren said after the eight bridge projects are completed under RAMP, the other projects approved for Chilton County will be completed.

“The money for these projects greatly accelerated the completion of projects that were needed for the safety and development of Chilton County,” Wearren said. “This is one of the largest road and bridge construction projects that has ever been done in the state of Alabama.”