Sewell announces $36.6 million grant to improve the Selma to Montgomery Historic Trail

On Monday, Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL07) announced that the City of Montgomery has been awarded $36,663,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to improve the Selma to Montgomery Historic Trail.

The funding comes from DOT's Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) grant program and will be used to develop a greenway trailhead to facilitate zero emissions and ADA accessible transportation options along the Selma to Montgomery Historic Trail.

"On the heels of the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we are thrilled to have secured major federal funding to improve our transportation infrastructure along the Selma to Montgomery Historic Trail," said Rep. Sewell. "This $36 million federal investment will help us tell the story of the struggle for civil rights to more Americans. We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for making it possible."

The zero-emission infrastructure will include rehabilitating the Transportation Administrative Building and a brownfield site, along the trail, into new locations for microgrids and charging stations for the public and public transit. The Fairview Transfer Station will be rehabilitated to house smart benches, Wi-Fi nodes, wayfinding kiosks, and workforce micro-transit hub.

There are three Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail Interpretive Centers

The Selma Interpretive Center is closed for major construction until fall 2025.

The Lowndes Interpretive Center is open from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST.

The Montgomery Interpretive Center is open from Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST.

The interpretive centers are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.

The exhibits at the Interpretive Centers explore the compelling stories of the Selma to Montgomery marches through multiple perspectives of those who participated or supported the march, as well those who opposed it, allowing visitors to be fully immersed in the climate of the times. The Centers work to provide a necessary background for visitors touring the other sites in the Selma, Lowndes County, and Montgomery area that are associated with the Civil rights movement.

The interpretive centers also provide schools and universities at all grade levels an opportunity for on-site education programs, utilizing state of the art exhibits and digital media. Additionally, the centers are an ideal location for teacher's conferences, scholarly seminars, workshops and more!

The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail traces the path taken by the three voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. The trail follows public roads through the City of Selma, Lowndes County, and the City of Montgomery. The trail is well marked and open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Check below for basic information about the park and the Interpretive Centers along the trail!

Terri Sewell, a native of Selma, has represented Alabama's Seventh Congressional District since being first elected in 2010.

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