Industrial Access Road and Bridge Program

The Alabama Industrial Access Road and Bridge Program is administered through the Alabama Industrial Access Road and Bridge Corporation, which was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1985. The program supports public road and bridge access associated with qualifying industrial development in Alabama. The corporation consists of the Transportation Director, State Treasurer, and Finance Director. Industrial access funds are intended to provide adequate public access for eligible projects under Section 23-6-1(5) of the Code of Alabama. The program is intended to support industries making new investments and creating new jobs and is not intended to provide access to retail operations. Eligible projects must provide new access on public right-of-way belonging to the state, a city, or a county. The access must permit normal public use and comply with the design and construction standards applicable to the use of state funds. The project sponsor must be a city or county and assumes responsibility for maintaining the completed facility unless the improvements are made to facilities already maintained by the state. Prior to the date a qualifying new or expanding project is placed in service, the sponsoring entity or its local development agency must notify the Alabama Department of Commerce of its intent to claim applicable incentives. The application submittal should include the notification acknowledgment letter from the Secretary of Commerce. Industrial access funding is limited to approved construction and construction engineering and inspection costs. The city or county sponsor is responsible for preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, and all construction and construction engineering and inspection costs that are not funded by the corporation. The board may allocate an amount up to the estimated project cost as determined by the Alabama Department of Transportation and rounded to the nearest hundred dollars. Funding may be provided in installments when the board determines that approach is appropriate. The source materials state that the corporation receives an annual appropriation of 11 million dollars from the state public road and bridge fund. Funding operates on a reimbursement basis rather than through an upfront grant payment. The Alabama Department of Transportation reimburses the sponsor monthly for eligible project work that has been performed and paid for by the sponsor. Unless the project is let to contract by ALDOT, the sponsor must first pay the contractor and then request reimbursement from ALDOT. A cancelled check must accompany the monthly estimate to demonstrate payment to the contractor. A sponsor may not advertise a project for contract letting until the corporation has approved the project, a fully executed agreement between the state and sponsor has been obtained, ALDOT has approved the plans, and the appropriate ALDOT Region Engineer or designee has issued authorization to proceed with advertising. The sponsor also may not issue a notice to proceed to the low bidder until ALDOT has reviewed the bids and concurred in the award. Applications are obtained from and filed with ALDOT in the manner prescribed by the board. The operating policies provide that applications must normally be filed no later than 65 days before a board meeting unless the filing deadline is waived by approved written petition or the board establishes another deadline. ALDOT reviews applications from an engineering perspective, verifies estimated project cost, and evaluates the public-use aspect of the project. For projects benefiting qualifying manufacturing, distribution, or other industries, the Alabama Department of Commerce reviews the application and relevant industry information. That review includes the industry's commitment to the site, planned operational date, expected number and wage levels of new or retained employees, employment schedule, and represented capital investment. The corporation maintains a recurring schedule of board meetings and corresponding application deadlines. As of August 17, 2026, the August 7, 2026 deadline associated with the October 13, 2026 board meeting has passed. The next published application deadline is January 8, 2027, for the March 9, 2027 board meeting. Additional published deadlines are April 2, 2027 for the June 8, 2027 meeting and August 6, 2027 for the October 12, 2027 meeting. Published schedules continue through 2029, demonstrating that the opportunity operates on a recurring basis rather than as a one-time solicitation. For questions about the Industrial Access Program, the source identifies Edward Austin, P.E., at 334.242.6318. After approval, a project allocation will lapse if a construction contract has not been awarded within 12 months of the board's funding approval unless the board approves a timely extension request. ALDOT periodically reviews approved projects and makes recommendations to the board regarding funding. The program therefore combines corporation approval, ALDOT engineering and reimbursement oversight, Department of Commerce review for qualifying industries, and continuing project monitoring through construction.

Submit at least 65 days before the applicable board meeting and ensure the project demonstrates public access, new investment, and new jobs. Do not advertise before corporation approval, a fully executed agreement, ALDOT plan approval, and authorization to advertise. Do not issue notice to proceed to the low bidder until ALDOT reviews the bids and concurs in the award.