The U.S. Department of Commerce is investing $2.5 million dollars in Independence County to reconstruct two bridges and ensure the flow of commerce throughout the region and during flood events.
Wilbur Ross, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, said the investment is to be matched with $625,000 in local funds.
“We have committed the matching funding from the county road budget,” said Independence County Judge Robert Griffin. “I intend to be able to bid certain parts of the project to use our labor and equipment to recapture those funds in materials moving and decommissioning the existing structures. More importantly, this investment to reconstruct the Big Creek and Center Grove bridges will increase safety for Independence County residents and support the regional economy in the event of a natural disaster or flood.”
The project will support the reconstruction of the Big Creek and Center Grove bridges, which are important to the operations of several major employers in the region but are currently susceptible to flooding.
The project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the White River Planning and Development District (WRPDD).
Griffin said he is proud this infrastructure project has come to fruition. He credited the work of WRPDD along with support from adjoining county judges, Arkansas’ congressional delegation, and the local processing industry.
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