A $1.3 million paving project will soon be underway in Butler County.

An 11-mile stretch of South Shackleville Road from Alabama Hwy. 10 West to the Monroe County line will be repaved by APAC Mid-South Paving.

According to Butler County Engineer Dennis McCall, work on the project should begin this summer.

The work is being funded through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (ATRIP).

In February of 2012, Gov. Robert Bentley unveiled ATRIP, which seeks to provide counties and cities with money to resurface and rehabilitate roads with federal funds totaling nearly $1 billion.

Only major collector roads, or roadways which serve 500 vehicles a day, and bridges qualify for the funding, and city and county governments must provide a 20 percent match for approved projects. Funding for ATRIP comes through the use of Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles Bonds (GARVEE). Through the use of GARVEE bonds, Alabama is able to access future federal dollars now in order to pay for road and bridge projects that are needed immediately.

During all three phases of the program, more than $10.3 million has been allocated for projects within Butler County.