Officials in Knoxville held a conference on Wednesday announcing the city was awarded a $24.7 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
The funding will go to build a pedestrian bridge over the Tennessee River, which would connect South Knoxville to the University of Tennessee campus and downtown.
This was Knoxville’s third time applying for the grant to help support the bridge project.
“We are so excited to have secured the next round of funding to make the South Knoxville Pedestrian Bridge a reality,” Mayor Indya Kincannon said. “The federal RAISE grant, coupled with the $20 million from the state, will now propel this project to the next stage."
The project is estimated to cost approximately $60 million, according to city officials. With the RAISE grant and receiving $20 million from the state, the city plans to make up the $15 million difference from new development and taxes on the south waterfront.
The south waterfront is a 20-year improvement plan for almost 50 acres fronting three miles of the Tennessee River.
The new pedestrian bridge would span the river from Clancy Avenue on the south side to the pedestrian concourse on the north.
Source: WBIR, Know News
