City passes resolution to apply for federal grants to improve sidewalks and bike paths

The city is moving ahead with the next phase of an ongoing sidewalk improvement project that began downtown and will now extend beyond the borders of the Central Business District.

In 2013, the city launched a major effort to replace damaged sidewalks and trees downtown after receiving reports that two people had stumbled and fallen over buckled sidewalks in separate incidents.

The project began in the center of downtown, starting on the Union County Courthouse Square and extending outward.

Old concrete sidewalks were replaced with attractive brick pavers with the help of federal grant funds and assistance from Union County, who asked the city to include the area on courthouse grounds.

A portion of the project was also incorporated into the development of the Murphy Arts District as part of $12.2 million package from the El Dorado Forward and El Dorado Works economic development taxes.

Now, the city is looking toward West Avenue.

Two years ago, the city received a $500,000 grant from the federal Transportation Alternatives Program to help fund sidewalk improvements on West Avenue between Main and Grove.

The grant comes with an 80/20 match and preliminary cost estimates are $650,000, said Robert Edmonds, director of the public works.

He said the state must OK the project because West Avenue/U.S. 167 B is a state highway.

“We’re waiting on the (Arkansas Department of Transportation) to approve the plans. They’ve got the drawings. We submitted them awhile ago,” Edmonds said, adding that he expects to hear back from ARDoT by the summer.

The El Dorado City Council has also passed a resolution to pursue another matching grant from TAP, which covers alternative transportation projects, including sidewalks, transportation enhancements, recreational trails and safe routes to school.

If the city is approved for another TAP grant, the sidewalk project will head farther west to Hillsboro/U.S. 82 and Timberlane, Edmonds said.

“We’ll go from Hillsboro to Robert E. Lee, and tie into the bicycle path from Hillsboro to El Dorado High School. A bicycle path will be included in the Hillsboro project,” he said.

The project is another small step toward an overall, master plan for a pedestrian/bicycle system in El Dorado.

Tia Lyons may be contacted at 870-862-6611 or by email at tlyons@ eldoradonews.com.

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