The City of Jonesboro has been awarded more than $557,000 in federal grants to be used for four projects, including a third phase of the Greenway walking and bicycle trail system and 2,000 feet of sidewalk construction and improvements in Jonesboro.
The grants were approved by the Arkansas Highway Commission on Wednesday at a meeting attended by Jonesboro Mayor Harold Perrin, Mark Nichols and Suzanne Allen in Little Rock.
“This is a perfect example of why we spend time fostering relationships with state leaders,” Perrin said. “It allows us to do things that cities could never do with sales tax dollars alone. I can’t thank the commissioners enough for listening to us and caring about Jonesboro.”
Perrin specifically thanked Commissioner Alec Farmer of Jonesboro.
“It is an honor to have a highway commissioner from our area who not only represents Jonesboro but all of Northeast Arkansas,” Perrin said.
Funding includes $448,000 from the Recreational Trails Program, including $359,000 for Phase 3 of the Greenway Trail. It will add 4,900 feet of trail coming out of the back entrance of Craighead Forest Park leading to Harrisburg Road. Phase 1, a 1.6-mile stretch of 12-foot-wide, ADA-accessible trail with six workout stations in the park, has been completed. Phase 2 is under construction, and it will complete the pedestrian and bicycling trail inside the park.
At the ATV park, $109,000 is to be spent to construct fences and gates that will enclose the park and safely separate ATVs from other areas.
Transportation Alternative Program grants were approved in the amount of $63,000 for 1,144 feet of sidewalks on Rains Street and $46,000 for replacement of 905 feet of sidewalks on Thom Street.
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