NATCHEZ — The railroad line between Natchez and Brookhaven will soon receive approximately $14.3 million in repairs and improvements.

The City of Natchez received word Tuesday that it has been awarded an approximately $10.7 million grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER Discretionary Grant program. The city has partnered with Natchez Railway Inc. — which is providing approximately $3.6 million in unrequired match funds — for the project.

The work planned for the railway includes rehabilitating and upgrading five structurally insufficient railroad truss bridges, replacing one failed culvert and installing new passive safety improvements on public at-grade crossings along the 65-mile rail line on Natchez Railway-owned property, Community Development Director James Johnston told the board of aldermen at its Tuesday meeting.

The city previously applied for the TIGER grant under the city’s last administration, but lost out to Jackson, Johnston said after the meeting.

The TIGER grant funding is highly competitive, Johnston said, with the program receiving hundreds of applications that have a 6-percent success rate.

The grant the city is receiving is also significant, Johnston said, because this year is likely the last round of TIGER grant funding.

“It will be a feather in the city’s cap,” he told the board.

Former Mayor Butch Brown, who was involved in lobbying for the project, said Tuesday Johnston should be commended for his work on the grant application, as well as local businessman Dan Bland, who helped facilitate the project and U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran, Roger Wicker and Congressman Gregg Harper.

Mayor Darryl Grennell said at Tuesday’s meeting the city is appreciative to its delegation and everyone who is involved in the project.

“The railroad is very critical in respect to the future of Natchez and the continuance of … industry in that area,” Grennell said.