U.S. Rep. Dale Strong announced Tuesday that the Department of War has awarded $10.8 million to the City of Huntsville for the Resolute Way interchange, the roadway project that will provide direct access from Interstate 565 to Redstone Arsenal’s main gate.

The federal grant supports a $16.2 million project and was issued through the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, administered by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. The program is authorized under Title 10 of the U.S. Code to address deficiencies in community infrastructure that support a military installation’s readiness and lethality.

Strong (R-Huntsville), who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, said the investment reflects the demands of an installation in the middle of sustained growth.

“As North Alabama’s national security contributions continue to grow, so does our need for infrastructure to support the people and places who carry out those missions,” Congressman Strong said.

This $10.8 million federal grant for the Resolute Way Interchange project will improve access to Redstone Arsenal and ease congestion, ensuring North Alabama is prepared to support that growth.”

“Today’s announcement is a testament to the value of federal, state, and local partners working together to ensure that our community has the resources necessary not just to grow, but to succeed. I want to thank Mayor Battle for his leadership and the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation for its partnership in strengthening the communities that support our national security and military readiness.”

Strong has pursued access and capacity improvements at the arsenal throughout his time in Congress. He authored a provision in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act permitting installations to contract security personnel when enlisted soldiers are unavailable, a measure written to keep Redstone’s gates fully staffed.

In April, the House Appropriations Committee advanced $565 million for the permanent U.S. Space Command headquarters at Redstone, including $115 million for design and $450 million for construction.

Alabama finished second in the nation in the grant round. The Department of War awarded 26 grants totaling $229.6 million across 15 states, and Alabama projects accounted for $29,292,378 of that figure. Only Texas received more, across three separate awards.

A larger Alabama award went to Calhoun County.

The City of Anniston received $18,492,378 to improve the primary runway at Anniston Regional Airport in support of Anniston Army Depot, the fourth-largest grant issued nationally. Anniston lies in the third congressional district, represented by U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Colorado received $20,973,537 in the same round, the bulk of it a water supply award benefiting Buckley Space Force Base. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is suing the federal government to block the relocation of U.S. Space Command from Colorado Springs to Redstone Arsenal, litigation now proceeding toward trial later this year.

Resolute Way runs 2.1 miles of new at-grade roadway from the Interstate 565 Exit 13 ramp at Madison Boulevard to Gate 9 and the Redstone Gateway development. A second phase would carry a bridge over Interstate 565 connecting to Governors West. The corridor the project is designed to relieve carries more than 140,000 vehicles per day.

The City of Huntsville had been financing the work through local and regional sources. Huntsville entered a $11.5 million funding agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation in November 2025, $2.3 million of it city money and the remainder from the Huntsville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the City Council approved a $680,691 engineering design contract in March. Design is scheduled for completion in mid-2027, with construction to follow in late 2027 or early 2028.

Redstone Arsenal is absorbing substantial growth. U.S. Space Command opened its first operational facility at the installation in April and expects more than 200 personnel in place by the end of this year, on the way to roughly 1,400 positions, with a permanent headquarters scheduled to become operational around 2031. The Huntsville City Council separately committed $45 million in May toward site preparation, utilities and senior military housing tied to the future headquarters campus. The FBI maintains more than 1,300 personnel at Redstone and continues to expand.

Congress appropriated $230 million for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program this fiscal year, including $100 million provided under the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.