SIDNEY -- A shift in federal funding is making more grant money available for rural economic development projects. Adams Industries sees it as an opportunity to work with Cheyenne County. 

Adams Industries representatives approached the Cheyenne County Commissioners today, Monday, July 17, with a proposal to work together for a grant application. The U.S. Department of Transportation released the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Opportunity grant application in the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highways Projects program.

According to the presentation by Kim Matthews, Business Development Director at Adams Industries and Josh Watchorn, Chief Financial Officer at Adams Industries, this year's eligible projects include public/private partnerships that will invest "a freight intermodal, freight rail, or freight project within the boundaries of a public or private freight rail, water, or intermodal facility ..." The grant overview defines a private/public partnership as when a local government partners with a private business to create economic development opportunities in the region.

The proposal is to find funding to improve Link 17A/County Road 99 from Highway 30 to County Road 32. According to the presentation, the potential funding is for development of transportation systems. If the roads to Adams are designated as part of the "Critical Rural Freight Corridor."  Critical Rural Freight Corridor roads are "public roads in non-urbanized areas that provide access and connection" to the primary highway freight system; for Adams Industries, that would be Interstate 80.

The proposal did not specify how much the county's buy-in would be, estimated to vary from 20 to 40 percent of the project. The focus of the project is currently the 17A Link, adding paved shoulders to the road. 

Commissioner Randy Miller asked about having a conversation with the U.S. Air Force and Northrup-Grumman in relation to the Sentinel Project. The grant deadline is August 21.