In an effort to conform to more stringent state guidelines, the Dallas County Commission approved the purchase of new, more reflective signs for many county roads.

But, they will be able to do the work at a tenth the cost thanks to a grant announced at Monday’s Dallas County Commission meeting.

According to county engineer Coosa Jones, the work and grant are part of the Federal Highway Administration’s High Risk Rural Road Program, administered by the Alabama Department of Transportation.

“This grant, which is a 10 percent match, provides funds for the signs only,” Jones told the commission. “This does not cover any cost of the poles or the installation.

“According to new requirements, all of our signs will have to be upgraded over a period of time to these new high-intensity materials.”

Jones, and county officials, predicts the work to cost just short of $40,000, leaving the county to pay an estimated $3,745.

“We will be able to scatter these new signs throughout the county,” Jones said.

“I think each of you have expressed at one point and time — and I have too — that we’ve got signs on our roads that are dim and ones you cannot see,” Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard said. “This will be super, reflective-type signs that will be very consistent with the state signs and available to us — thanks to this grant — at almost no cost.”

A total of 25 sites have been targeted for this first project.