(The Center Square) – Two Arkansas cities will split more than $48 million in funding from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program, also known as RAISE, for two transportation projects, according to an announcement Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Bryant, Arkansas, is receiving $25 million to reconstruct 3.6 miles of Old Stagecoach Highway. The project will include sidewalks, utility work and upgrades to storm drainage. The road could also divert traffic off of I-30 when it is congested, according to the project’s fact sheet.
“The new sidewalks and shared use paths will provide commuters and other users with active transportation options for traveling within the project area and improve public health, and are expected to bring the crash rate in the underserved community of Bryant to below the statewide average,” according to the fact sheet.
Russellville will receive $23.8 million for 13 new miles of transportation infrastructure.
“The project will build separated bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure and use underpasses and flashing beacons to improve safety,” according to the fact sheet. “Trail networks are anticipated to reduce dependence on vehicles, therefore reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions through modal shift.”
The RAISE program is part of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. More than $2.2 billion was doled out for 162 projects in all 50 states, two U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.
Demand was high for the program and requests topped $15 billion, according to the DOT.
“Improvements to our transportation infrastructure such as this are crucial to Arkansas’s economic development and enhancing our standard of living. Our state is filled with beautiful trails and outdoor spaces that we can and should continue to utilize and develop,” said U.S. Sen. John Boozman in a statement.
