September 23, 2020
By: Dwayne Page
The City of Smithville is again embarking on a plan to improve pedestrian crossings at two busy intersections.
During a special meeting Monday evening, Mayor Josh Miller informed the aldermen that the city has reapplied for a Tennessee Department of Transportation Multi-Modal Access Grant.
This program is a 95/5% match for construction of up to $1 million. If fully funded, the city would receive $950,000 in grant funding with a $50,000 local match requirement for construction of crosswalk improvements at the intersections of Highway 56 & 70 and at Highway 70 & 146.
Virginia Alexander, Community Development Planner for the Upper Cumberland Development District, was also at the meeting Monday to discuss the project.
“Smithville submitted a letter of intent to apply for a TDOT Multi-Modal Access Grant. The scope of the project is to redo the intersections at Highway 56 & 70 and Mountain Street & Highway 70 with new crosswalks and potential signalization if needed. A study would be done for rehabbing the area and intersections with crosswalks for safety and any sidewalk repair needed. It was accepted to be a full application so we are working to get that application completed,” said Alexander.
The city first applied for the grant last October but was denied.