FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Contact: Stephanie Roth
(202) 366-0660
FHWA 03-06h

Tennessee Receives $2 Million Federal Grant For Shelby and Fayette County Highway Improvements

Washington, DC - Tennessee is receiving a $2 million federal transportation grant to resurface State Route 385 from Collierville to Interstate 40 in Shelby and Fayette Counties, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said today.

The grant is part of a federal program that supports transportation infrastructure and economic development in the Delta region of the U.S.

"Investing in new road projects will help countless travelers and residents alike better connect to the heart, spirit and soul of the Delta region," said Mineta. "Our investment will help ensure that State Route 385 fuels economic potential and opportunity in the area for many years to come."

The Department of Transportation is providing more than $24 million in grants to eight states in the Delta region. In addition to Tennessee, states receiving grants are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri.

The highway, transit and safety law signed by President Bush in August 2005 provides an additional $40 million for transportation projects in the Delta region. It also provides $1 million to the Delta Regional Authority for a study of transportation needs and priorities in the eight states. The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership established to further economic development in the Delta.

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