CAIRO — Grady County officials were awarded $386,000 in state grants to complete work on State Park Road.

The county received notification last week from the state Department of Transportation that they had been awarded a local maintenance and improvement grant (LMIG), which allows them to complete the roadway without incurring further costs.

County Administrator Buddy Johnson credited state Rep. Darlene Taylor and other nearby entities in helping lock down funding for development around Tired Creek Lake.

“State Park Road has been a big issue because we found ourselves with not enough funding to finish the road off,” Johnson said.

The road, which serves as access to Tired Creek Lake, has been closed to public traffic for the past year.

Funds for the road initially were received through a grant, but the money ran dry before the county was able to complete the paving process.

Work crews have been maintaining the road for the past several months as the county attempted to secure a new source of funding.

The road is expected to be passable as a dirt trail by January.

Paving should along the road should be underway by next fall, Johnson said.

With the grant secured, the county will now be able to move some money saved for developing State Park Road to Open Pond Road, which Johnson said is in “dire need” of work.

The county is expecting to receive the grant money in January.