After working for months on a design concept for major improvements to E Street, the Williams City Council last week authorized the submission of a $10.6 million Active Transportation Program grant request by the June 15 deadline.
Williams officials estimate the project will cost about $12.6 million, of which $2 million will come from city coffers to complete all the early project developments phases, including planning, environmental studies, and final design.
E Street improvement will be the most significant traffic project completed in Williams, City Administrator Frank Kennedy said.
The project will improve community mobility and safety by converting the E Street corridor from an obsolete State Highway 20 facility to an active multi-modal main street. The project calls for a roundabout at E and 11th Street, high-visibility pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, bike lanes, landscaped islands, and lighting.
The emphasis will be on providing the community with safe routes to school, safe routes for senior citizens, and improved safety for all citizens in all modes of transportation, Kennedy said.
The application requires a detailed project delivery schedule and a proposed funding plan.
The grant is highly competitive, officials said, with the City Council hoping to receive confirmation of award by December 2022.