If you’ve traveled on North Jackson over the last month, you may have noticed road work signs and construction crews on the sides of the road. Although they’re placed on the road, all the work is going to the sidewalks that connect Southern Arkansas University to Main Street.
City Inspector David Nelson said the sidewalks on North Jackson are getting replaced to create a safe path for foot traffic from the University to Main Street. The funds for this project, totaling $500,000, were awarded to the City of Magnolia in 2017 by the Arkansas Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP).
According to the TAP records, Magnolia received the largest funding award of 18 sponsors; in all, $3,418,000 in federal funding awards were granted that year.
TAP provides funding for programs and projects that have been defined as transportation alternatives for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized forms of transportation. It also replaces the funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School (SRTS), wrapping them into a single funding source.
“TAP is a reimbursement-type grant program,” the records read. “The program provides for an 80 percent federal share and a 20 percent match will be required from the eligible sponsor.”
Some of the sidewalks will be brought further into the road, a move to ensure that the new sidewalks won’t be on resident’s property lines, Nelson said. He said the project began on July 13 and should be completed within 90 to 120 days after the start date.