HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Four of the Huntsville area's most congested roads will be widened under the final round of the $1 billion Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program.

State Department of Transportation Director John Cooper announced Friday that extra lanes will be added to U.S. 72 West in Madison, Zierdt Road in west Huntsville, Winchester Road in the Riverton area and Jeff Road in Monrovia. Total cost: about $38 million.

Meanwhile, the City of Madison was awarded $12 million in ATRIP funds to create a new commercial and industrial corridor south of Interstate 565. The 2.8-mile Kellner Road project would start at Wall-Triana Highway near the airport and weave past Intergraph before connecting with Zierdt Road just south of Madison Boulevard.

Madison Mayor Troy Trulock said the new road would benefit his city as well as Huntsville by opening more than 700 acres of farm land to future development.

"The governor's position has been, these roads should be helping with jobs and economic development," Trulock said following Friday's ATRIP announcement at the Madison County legislative office. "If we get those roads and infrastructure in place, it helps bring in the businesses."

Kellner Road will cross more than 200 acres owned by Old Town Investments, a company affiliated with developer Louis Breland. In 2007, Breland and Tampa, Fla.-based DeBartolo Corp. proposed building a $500 million shopping center along Zierdt Road. It was to be called The Peaks at South Chase.

The deal unraveled when the state would not agree to build a new I-565 exit at Zierdt Road.

Asked if there are specific plans for future development along Kellner Road, Trulock said, "Not yet."

"We're just going to put the roads in place and then start putting what kind of goes in there," he said. "That's probably several years down the road."

Here's a closer look at the other winning projects:

This map shows the six Madison County road projects awarded a total of $50 million through the Alabama Transportation Rehabilitation and Improvement Program. Projects in the Huntsville city limits are shown in orange, Madison city limits in blue and Madison County in green. (Courtesy Alabama Department of Transportation)

Winchester Road will be widened for a total of 3.3 miles - both inside the Huntsville city limits and in rural Madison County - from Dominion Circle to Riverton Road. Combined with two other construction projects funded in earlier ATRIP rounds, the state says Winchester Road is set to become a "continuous multiline highway" from Memorial Parkway across the Flint River to Bell Factory Road. Cost: $15.5 million.

Zierdt Road west of Redstone Arsenal will become a four-lane divided boulevard from Martin Road north to Madison Boulevard, a distance of 3.6 miles. Many of the 18,000 vehicles a day that use Zierdt Road are going to or coming from the arsenal's Gate 7 at Martin Road. Cost: $17.5 million.

U.S. 72 West in Madison will be widened for a distance of 1.6 miles between Balch and Hughes roads. Among the most congested areas in the county, the four-lane stretch includes Madison Hospital, the Target-anchored Shoppes of Madison, Lowe's, Publix and dozens of other businesses. The state's project description says Huntsville Hospital, which owns Madison Hospital, "has committed matching funds to assist in project costs." Cost: $6.57 million.

Jeff Road in Monrovia will be widened to five lanes from just south of Capshaw Road to Douglass Road, a distance of 2.8 miles. Currently two lanes, the busy stretch includes Monrovia Elementary and Monrovia Middle schools. Cost: $13.5 million.

While ATRIP covers 80 percent of the cost of eligible road and bridge projects, Cooper said Huntsville, Madison and Madison County leaders agreed to pay more than the required 20 percent local match.

By chipping in a 33 percent match, he said, Madison County's latest $50 million ATRIP award - tops among Alabama counties - grows to nearly $75 million.

Madison County received $82.7 million over the three rounds of the statewide road construction program -- far more than any other county. Mobile County was next at $50.22 million.

Cooper pointed out that Madison County's tally is closer to $120 million when local matching dollars are factored in. He said Mac McCutcheon, a Republican state House member from Monrovia and member of the ATRIP committee, "did a good job representing the county's interests."

"We worked very hard to make sure the state as a whole was treated fairly," said McCutcheon, "and also that Madison County received money to help with its transportation needs."

With about 1,100 ATRIP projects awarded statewide -- many of which have yet to be designed -- Cooper said it may be "two or three years" before construction begins on Jeff Road, Winchester Road, U.S. 72 West, Zierdt Road and Kellner Road.

Updated at 4:01 p.m. with quotes from Alabama DOT Director John Cooper, ATRIP committee member Mac McCutcheon, additional information on Kellner Road.

