Athens-Clarke County received a $25 million federal grant to make North Avenue a complete street, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday.
The grant will pay to resurface North Avenue between Willow Street and Freeman Drive/Collins Industrial Boulevard just north of the Loop. The grant will also fund upgraded bus shelters, lighting, drainage, crosswalks and wayfinding signs. In addition, the “Reimagine North Avenue” project will include a shared multi-use path for bikes and pedestrians running alongside the roadway.
Mayor Kelly Girtz said the grant will also pay to replace the aging bridge over the North Oconee River and build a new bike/pedestrian bridge over the Loop.
According to USDOT:
It will provide area residents with improved access to affordable multimodal transportation options along North Avenue which is a main connection between low-income communities north of State Route (SR-10) and Downtown Athens. The project will also provide safe connections for area residents to employment, education, healthcare, public transit, essential services and recreational areas.
The funds came from the competitive Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. This round of funding included 166 projects totaling $2.2 billion. The 2021 infrastructure act includes $7.5 billion for RAISE grants, formerly known as TIGER grants, over five years.
One other Georgia project won funding: MARTA will receive $25 million to renovate its Five Points station in downtown Atlanta. RAISE grants are capped at $25 million.
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