Alabama Senator Richard Shelby announced Friday that the U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding a highway infrastructure improvement grant to the City of Decatur.

"The funding will allow for much-needed improvements and enhancements to the current infrastructure in Decatur,” Shelby said. “As Alabama’s transportation needs evolve, it is important that we find ways to support rapid growth, especially in rural areas."

The $14,222,671 in federal funding will be used to construct an overpass bridge at the intersection of State Route 20 and Bibb Garrett Road. The project also includes ramps, a new access road, better lighting for highways and pedestrian safety accommodations. The grant is intended to help in bridging the gap between Decatur and other employment hubs in Alabama, Shelby said.

“The creation of a Highway 20 overpass and exchange is the catalyst of growth and change our city has been striving to achieve,” Decatur's mayor, Tab Bowling, said.