Tuesday, March 10 2009
The City of Evansville will use $5 million from the federal stimulus package for two transportation projects. It will expand the Pigeon Creek Greenway and implement a downtown traffic flow improvement initiative. The Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization has also approved $1 million in federal funds for the Rivertown Trail project in the Town of Newburgh.
Evansville to Use Stimulus Money for Transportation Initiatives
The Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) today approved sending more than $5 million in Highway and Bridge Infrastructure funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to the City of Evansville for use in expanding the Pigeon Creek Greenway and implementing the downtown traffic flow improvement project.
The City of Evansville will spend $2.6 million of these funds on downtown traffic signal modernization. Traffic flow into, within and around downtown Evansville will be improved through this project. The City intends to implement numerous downtown traffic changes, including changing one-way streets to two-way streets, and opening up Riverside Drive for a left turn onto and from Main Street and Walnut Street. The project will also help upgrade 31 intersections and install new traffic signals, add street name signs and new pedestrian signals, and ADA accessible ramps.
“The downtown traffic signal modernization project is one we identified several years ago as a way to make it easier for drivers to navigate downtown Evansville,” said Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. “This will make it much easier for people to visit downtown businesses and attractions.”
The remaining $2.4 million in stimulus funds will be used on the next phase of the Pigeon Creek Greenway, which is the Industrial Corridor Phase 2. Phase 2 starts at Franklin Street and follows the Pigeon Creek to Lamasco Park. A bridge will be installed to cross a small waterway off Pigeon Creek into the park. A new trailhead will be constructed in the park with bike racks, restroom facilities and a drinking fountain. The trail will then continue next to the Lamasco Skate Park, under the Delaware/Columbia Street overpass and end under the Maryland Street Bridge.
The Evansville urbanized area, which includes the Town of Newburgh, has been awarded a total of $6,018,496 in funds. The EMPO directed $1 million to Newburgh to use on Phase 2 of its Rivertown Trail.
Source: Inside INdiana Business & City of Evansville Comments:
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