The City of Granite Falls will receive $512,000 in Federal funding from the National Scenic Byway Program (NSBP) to rehabilitate their historic pedestrian bridge as a result of assistance from the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC).
The National Scenic Byway Program funds will cover half of the costs to rehabilitate the historic Granite Falls pedestrian suspension bridge to provide key safety upgrades, including raising it to protect it from future flood events, extending the hand rails to meet current safety requirements, and replacing the lighting. The other half of the project costs will come from the State Bonding dollars Granite Falls received in 2010.
The National Scenic Byways Program is federal program that recognizes roads having outstanding scenic, historic, cultural, natural, recreational, and archaeological qualities. Program funding supports projects that manage and protect these roads and improve visitor facilities.
During this last round of funding, the program received 261 applications nationwide that totaled over $111 million in funding requests for projects. Nationwide, only 125 applications were funded at a total of $37,054,987. In Minnesota, six applications were funded totaling $2,023,850.
Click here to view the full list of funded projects throughout the country.
Click here for more information on the National Scenic Byways Program.
For information about the UMVRDC’s grant writing services, contact Lindsey Knutson, UMVRDC Transportation Planner, at lindsey.knutson@umvrdc.org or call 320-289-1981 ext. 7.