The Town of Berlin has secured a $1.2 million grant from the federal government to study construction of a pedestrian and walking bridge that would connect two sides of town separated by Route 113.
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The Town of Berlin has secured a $1.2 million grant from the federal government to study connecting two sides of town separated by Route 113.
According to a news release from U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, the federal dollars, secured through the Inflation Reduction Act, will “support the planning and design of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Route 113 in Berlin, as well as other sidewalk and street crossing improvements, to better connect both sides of the Town, which is currently split by the roadway.”
The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and provided through the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program, which the lawmakers worked to create and fund through the Inflation Reduction Act. Last fall, the senators wrote to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of the federal funding.
“The Town of Berlin is grateful for Senator Cardin and Van Hollen’s support and advocacy for our ‘Bridging the Highway that Divides Berlin: Reconnecting Neighborhoods Split by US-113’ project. The grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation will allow the Town of Berlin to make meaningful progress toward providing equitable and safe access to schools, shopping, and healthcare services for all community members. We look forward to working with community members and the Maryland Department of Transportation to develop an inclusive plan that overcomes the highway that divides our small town,” Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall said in the release.
The town will also use the funding to identify necessary sidewalk and crossing improvements in the area and potential connections to existing and proposed bike and pedestrian facilities.