[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6499934,"mediaKeyId","5456425-065c6a4d3e3e6f4cfbcda49c4d325a4c","parentId",5456425,"title","Lawmakers hear ALDOT on uptick in traffic fatalities, work‑zone safety and possible construction‑zone camera legislation","audioSeconds",293,"startMs",1642000,"endMs",1935000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5456425-065c6a4d3e3e6f4cfbcda49c4d325a4c&start=1642&end=1935","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5456425-065c6a4d3e3e6f4cfbcda49c4d325a4c/thumbnail_1642000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6499934/Alabama/Lawmakers-hear-ALDOT-on-uptick-in-traffic-fatalities-workzone-safety-and-possible-constructionzone-camera-legislation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499934-5d6bbf3bbe59917c8fc949d546a98b1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770543637&Signature=LAAWaMSRipSLJ6yJuMwzJVkktYOwj68E3-jqNxphlaNedQ8hxxj4qCz1p3cAeVSLI2-lb2F2wrmqou0thM09kNeh2kCNnQd4mU4CEcPFPHZa6dRfkCsxn8tgUtFpMpDslmOiaHN5wo0jcm6zGHD8ApF3W1zeUoCLzIOH-L~XOlWSx0HIZidHyIfRJEryDgzV27Yz6FQZBwfprTQy2kIa9Ly6EI3AXWtPFdA9G9eCCDVi9gm~fBXqCmQ5UgBv3Jn-KdybfKucP~lJMPQG2snv6O7NaS7NHjVFSyhaLTEn2-kUckSY24e6MhUmZEnRzAUqYMT-gPJn61qHyWE421tr~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alabama Joint Sessions","date","2025-07-23T18:31:00Z","article","Ed Austin, chief engineer at the Alabama Department of Transportation, told the Joint Transportation Oversight Committee that the state has seen a modest uptick in severe and fatal crashes after recent years of improvement and that the increases include pedestrians and work‑zone incidents.

“We are seeing a little bit of an uptick this year,” Austin said, adding that the department receives near-daily updates from crash-reporting systems and that work‑zone safety and enforcement are ongoing concerns as traffic volumes rise.

Committee members emphasized workplace safety for road crews. Representative Woodrow, citing a recent pedestrian death on U.S. Highway 90 in Mobile County, urged the committee to support public‑awareness outreach and coordination with enforcement to reduce fatalities. Austin suggested ALDOT could engage industry groups (road builders and asphalt pavers) and that those groups would likely participate in outreach and options discussions.

Senator Allen said the committee is researching legislation on construction‑zone cameras for the next legislative session and urged members to monitor the effort. “We’re looking … at a piece of legislation for next year, dealing with construction zones on cameras,” he said, and asked committee members and staff to be alert to developments as research continues.

ALDOT staff said the department will share traffic‑fatality data and emails to committee members; the committee clerk will distribute the materials to members for further review.

Why it matters: a rise in traffic fatalities and work‑zone incidents affects public safety directly and could prompt legislative or programmatic changes in enforcement, outreach and work‑zone practices. The committee signaled interest in a policy response, including possible construction‑zone camera legislation and expanded public‑awareness campaigns.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Alabama Joint Transportation Oversight Committee","oneSentenceSummary","ALDOT reported a modest uptick in severe and fatal crashes this year, including work‑zone and pedestrian incidents. Committee members discussed outreach and potential legislation to expand construction‑zone cameras; Senator Allen said committee staff are researching options for next year.","taxTitle","Joint Interim Committees, Alabama Legislative Sessions, Alabama","taxId",14940,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6499938,"ALDOT: bridge program progress, IIJA bridge formula ranking and planned bridge-prioritization training",67,1473000,1540000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5456425-065c6a4d3e3e6f4cfbcda49c4d325a4c&start=1473&end=1540","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5456425-065c6a4d3e3e6f4cfbcda49c4d325a4c/thumbnail_1473000.jpg","/articles/6499938/Alabama/ALDOT-bridge-program-progress-IIJA-bridge-formula-ranking-and-planned-bridge-prioritization-training","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499938-08f7809600daeacc37c5c9081586204b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770543637&Signature=Hz4M6QPq3RXq5lRs1d4kQET8zW0-sscain~xJzJ8cA-HbEKpxqbRvdxg2xNjn7ADSNreUdEUKcFkXtchPxQAL2O7fKoZTVahjwFOZWhf1z1R0kTTwdzJhG8n12f3mquFs0wJWjj8bQXdqCHA2yIO56UTqnalMpPlcozDkaqwJs8X4dcybiWpQ5GCYjCrb~tshW~f1xK0XJuth37wOnVvWEsmXYUQQjWhsKd6x7OUOcy8Era~hX6zLWNv-nLZ9HnTDEGI5g~o~DGePQdhJ2JSLIxyWCzL0cUqAH-uLLOykt9LBCuDcFDAvoCKtk8N5KKUZgP25XoDZMlwvkDCGP-nDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ed Austin, chief engineer at the Alabama Department of Transportation, told the Joint Transportation Oversight Committee that the IIJA-established bridge formula — which targets funds based on bridge condition rather than population — identified Alabama as relatively high in bridges rated fair or poor under that metric.

Austin said Alabama historically prioritized bridges through earlier state funding efforts (he cited a 1992 five-cent gas tax that spurred bridge work), and that the state’s inventory of bridges previously rated structurally deficient has decreased substantially over decades. He told the committee that ALDOT typically advances roughly 15 bridge projects a year under the Rebuild Alabama bridge program, but that the new bridge formula targets fair/poor-condition bridges specifically and makes Alabama eligible for additional formula funds.

“The bridge formula program that was established through IIJA doesn’t look at population. It looks at those bridges that you have that were in fair or poor condition,” Austin said. “Unfortunately … we were deemed in the top 20, in fact in the top 15 across the country of bridges that were in fair and poor condition.”

Austin said the department will provide a deeper update in a bridge-focused training session the committee requested; he recalled a prior training delivered to committee chairs and offered to schedule a new session with bridge-section staff who handle inventory and prioritization. Committee members asked for updated counts of bridges rated in poor condition and progress since the last inventory; Austin said he did not have the up-to-date numeric breakdown in the meeting but committed to providing the current figures at the training.

Committee discussion also touched on how ALDOT classifies projects under Rebuild Alabama: “system enhancement” generally covers added lanes and capacity (example: four-laning projects), while “economic development” priority targets counties lacking a four‑lane connection to an interstate. Austin said the department uses Rebuild Alabama criteria to prioritize projects addressing capacity and connectivity, noting examples such as four‑laning to Cherokee County and work on U.S. 82 toward Gordo.

Why it matters: the IIJA bridge formula and Rebuild Alabama programming determine which bridges receive federal and state resources for replacement or rehabilitation; an accurate, current inventory affects Alabama’s eligibility for targeted federal bridge funds and local project scheduling.

ALDOT committed to return with a dedicated bridge-prioritization presentation, including updated counts of fair/poor bridges and the criteria used to classify projects under Rebuild Alabama.","ALDOT staff briefed lawmakers on bridge replacement and condition, said Alabama ranked among the top states with bridges in fair or poor condition under the IIJA bridge formula, and offered a detailed training on ALDOT’s bridge project prioritization.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6499943,"ALDOT: full-year continuing resolution rolls FY2025 IIJA funding back to FY2024 levels; NEVI allocation drops to zero",68,288000,356000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5456425-065c6a4d3e3e6f4cfbcda49c4d325a4c&start=288&end=356","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5456425-065c6a4d3e3e6f4cfbcda49c4d325a4c/thumbnail_288000.jpg","/articles/6499943/Alabama/ALDOT-full-year-continuing-resolution-rolls-FY2025-IIJA-funding-back-to-FY2024-levels-NEVI-allocation-drops-to-zero","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6499943-d2a3874f68318b77ec0c3d845fa52e23/orig.mp4?Expires=1770543637&Signature=YJm6x3nzB5mzLvStVEcPnHnlt2JHnr3r0~CEQKJr4SgfgEG4A1lQ8Iqs1z4alr3mebRaJWkK~~-nohlpmVUesJoUmQOwUp~yZ5kk5T3~OFM1rwgEV2dDRuewQI47XK4e0n~uOw9AhlBYqSWwi733RGSHtn1BHE3-NhQ7hxqbmKIZSa~ptzOQ3tgXNc8XKOdsV9-6lFdtVN0qleqyyCHG-4I1Y~Ve81uXiVIQl7wyBg~zskO4d4mwO0L3u1naAB-6iuil5pWfA8Brbr4Iz-FYY9K622YRDkd08D~UCO7rYudHDXIZfZ5CPSSkiRhTHbhPM4cuOFdilczYH3y648seZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ed Austin, chief engineer for the Alabama Department of Transportation, told the Joint Transportation Oversight Committee on Oct. 25 that a full-year continuing resolution (CR) from Congress will revert FY2025 federal highway funding to the FY2024 authorization level, reducing IIJA-era new-program allocations for Alabama.

That rollback means the federal totals in ALDOT’s FY2025 fund allocation plan will be “pretty close” to last year’s figures, Austin said, and earmarks scheduled for 2025 under IIJA will not be funded because there is no new authorization for the year.

The change affects several categories in ALDOT’s four-year fund allocation sheet. Austin summarized the department’s programmed state public road and bridge total as $550,000,000 for the year and explained the federal breakdown: roughly $137.5 million in aid that goes directly to cities, counties and MPOs; GARVEE bond debt payments tied to prior programs; the five legacy federal programs (safety, state route resurfacing, system enhancement, bridge replacement and interstate maintenance); and the newer IIJA-created programs shown in ALDOT’s materials.

“Instead of delaying an appropriation, this time Congress could not come to a consensus on a number,” Austin said. “They did what’s called a full-year continuing resolution, which means we do have a full year’s money, but it rolls back to the ’24 figure.”

Austin pointed to specific impacts in the department presentation: NEVI (the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program) funding that had been administered in Alabama through ADECA is shown as zero for FY2025 and FY2026 because the IIJA-authorized increases are not available under the CR. Ferry-boat funding also had not been allocated as of the presentation and was left at zero pending federal clarification; ALDOT staff said typical ferry allocations are on the order of a few hundred thousand dollars annually.

On state-funded items, Austin said federal-aid matching payments exceed $191 million and that state funds devoted to match plus state maintenance together account for roughly $190–195 million — about 70% of ALDOT’s state fund programming. He listed departmental administrative overhead (about $95 million), county engineer salary support codified in the Rebuild Alabama Act (just under $9 million) and longstanding industrial access at $11 million as parts of the $550 million package.

Austin also reviewed GARVEE (grant-anticiPation revenue) bond debt: two GARVEE debt payments for ATRIP and the Central Business District projects total “a little over $107 million” in federal-aid-related payments, with terms in the 15–20 year range depending on the issuance.

Committee members asked about practical consequences. Representative Wilcox asked whether a “pay-as-you-go” approach — which some counties use — could reduce interest costs; Austin responded that while pay-as-you-go can work for resurfacing or smaller bridge work, large “mega projects” become difficult to fund without bonding. Austin offered to seek information from Tennessee staff about their pay-as-you-go practice and report back.

Austin also reminded members that the ALDOT STIP (Statewide Transportation Improvement Program), the federally required four-year program, is maintained on ALDOT’s website, updated frequently (about monthly) for cost changes and amendments, and is searchable by county, region and project type.

Why it matters: the CR-driven rollback constrains new IIJA-era program spending Alabama expected to receive for FY2025, affects local recipients of federal aid, and pauses some new-program allocations such as NEVI pending future Congressional action.

The committee did not take a formal vote on funding changes during the meeting; ALDOT staff said the department will continue to monitor federal guidance and report back to the committee as allocations are clarified.","Alabama Department of Transportation staff told the Joint Transportation Oversight Committee that a full-year continuing resolution in Congress reverts federal IIJA-authorized FY2025 allocations to FY2024 levels, reducing new earmarks and leaving the state's NEVI electric-vehicle allocation at zero for the year.","actionData","errors"]

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Lawmakers hear ALDOT on uptick in traffic fatalities, work‑zone safety and possible construction‑zone camera legislation

ALDOT: bridge program progress, IIJA bridge formula ranking and planned bridge-prioritization training

ALDOT: full-year continuing resolution rolls FY2025 IIJA funding back to FY2024 levels; NEVI allocation drops to zero