Marshall County wins $16.17 million federal grant to replace Swayback Bridge

Marshall County commissioners announced that the county has been awarded a $16,170,000 federal grant to replace the Swayback Bridge on Huntsville Road.

The award, described by county staff as the only such award in Alabama, follows a multi-year effort involving county engineers, local leaders and federal and state offices. Mike (county engineer) told the commission the existing bridge is about 462 feet long and carries roughly 4,215 vehicles a day, and that the county is pursuing the replacement after two fatalities on the structure in 2020 and 2023. "The existing bridge is about 462 foot long" and "it carries about 4,215 vehicles a day," Mike said, noting the accidents that prompted the push for replacement.

Jason Harper, introduced to the commission as a key contact in Washington, thanked local and state partners and framed the funding as part of a broader package. "You've got 16.1 for this bill grant. You've got 2,000,000, from Sarah Britt's office," Jason said, referencing an additional $2 million secured for preliminary engineering and environmental work. County staff said that combination of federal grant funds and the preliminary engineering appropriation will allow the county to proceed to design and permitting.

Officials described the planned replacement as substantially larger than the current structure: they expect a new bridge in the 900–1,000-foot range, raised to about 150 feet above the ground (roughly 75 feet higher than the current deck), and widened to 36–40 feet to include paved shoulders. The county engineer said raising the deck and reducing the vertical curve will make the crossing "smoother" and safer for local traffic, including school buses and agricultural vehicles.

The county also said the municipal utility (MUB) will upgrade an existing 8-inch line on the bridge to a 12-inch main and will seek reimbursement through the project for that portion of the work. Officials said the property owner at the proposed site has committed to cooperating with right-of-way needs and that, based on current alignment, they are not anticipating significant new property acquisition.

Key near-term dates cited by staff include preliminary design (due about January 2027), continued NEPA environmental work (underway), permitting and approvals around May 2027, and an estimated construction start in October 2027 or shortly thereafter. Mike asked the commission to add the ALDOT contract to the agenda so the county can sign the necessary agreements and access planning funds.

The commission also approved a separate preliminary engineering and utility agreement for $2,000,000 secured through ThUD appropriations, which staff said was arranged with the help of state lawmakers.

The county said it will provide regular updates on the project through meetings, social media and local news outlets. The award documents and letters of support were shown to the commission during the presentation.

Next steps: staff will proceed with the design schedule and permitting process and the commission will consider the required agreements with ALDOT and related documents in upcoming meetings.