Gov. Robert Bentley has awarded four Community Development Block Grants totaling $1.1 million for water, sewer and road improvements in Pike and Crenshaw counties.

Drivers using Pike County roads 7706, 6606 and 2203 will benefit from a $350,000 grant, while Brundidge residents will see upgrades to the city’s water system and the demolition of several dilapidated structures thanks to a $350,000 grant. The town of Goshen is receiving a $216,000 grant for water-system improvements.

In Crenshaw County, the town of Rutledge is using a $222,500 grant for sewer upgrades.

“Without our Community Development Block Grant program, many of Alabama’s local governments would be unable to undertake vital infrastructure projects,” Bentley said. “I am pleased we are able to help these communities improve the lives of residents.”

Pike County will pave and widen County Road 7706, a dirt road used heavily by school buses. Deep ruts that endanger vehicles and passengers require weekly smoothing to maintain the road. County roads 6606 and 2203 are scheduled to be resurfaced. The county is contributing $142,850 to the project.

In the Caldwell Street neighborhood, Brundidge is replacing 4-inch cast-iron water lines that are 60-years-old, rusted and dilapidated, with modern 6-inch lines. The city also will demolish 20 deteriorated structures that are eyesores and pose a health and safety threat. Brundidge is contributing $56,597 to the project.

Goshen is adding a system to regulate water pressure used during an emergency, such as a fire, so that high pressure does not damage fixtures in homes along the same water line. Goshen also is removing old lead-based paint and repainting the town’s water tank. Town officials say the 38-year old paint could potentially elevate the level of lead in the water supply and pose a health risk for the 279 residents served by the tank. Goshen is contributing $25,000 to the project.

Rutledge is upgrading a 25-year-old sewer pump station. With the current system, several homes and businesses have experienced sewage backup. To address the problem, the town will install larger-capacity pumps and piping and replace electrical controls at the station. The town also is replacing thin PVC water lines in the Old Acres Trailer Park with new PVC water main that will eliminate constant leaks and the need for costly repairs.

The Alabama Department of Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. ADECA administers an array of programs that support law enforcement and traffic safety, economic development, energy conservation, workforce development, water resource management and recreation development.

Bentley notified mayors James Ramage of Brundidge, Jack Waller of Goshen, and Joe Dexter Flynn of Rutledge and Pike County Commission Chairman Homer Wright the grants had been approved.