Governor Bredesen Announces Enhancement Grant for Grainger County

Enhancement Grant for Washburn Community Sidewalk Project:
 Left to right: Rep. Dennis Roach, Marie Merritt, Commissioner Gerald F. Nicely,
 County Commissioner Delmer King, Mayor Paul Merritt, Commissioner Dana Dalton,
 County Commissioner Nadine Stansberry, Gov. Phil Bredesen, Sen. Micheal Williams.
 

Nashville, Tenn. -- Governor Phil Bredesen announced today that the state will provide the community of Washburn in Grainger County with an enhancement grant in the amount of $282,822 to assist with the Washburn Community Sidewalk Project.

“This project will give pedestrians and children safer access to schools, medical facilities, and numerous other important services,” said Governor Bredesen. “Sidewalks are a vital part of any transportation network, and I’m proud the State of Tennessee can make investments like this one that enhance local communities for the benefit of citizens and visitors alike.”

“Right now, roads in this community have no shoulder,” added Senator Micheal Williams. “It’s exciting to be a part of a project that will provide immediate improvement to the safety of pedestrians.”

According to the grant application project planners believe it will not only have a positive impact on residents of the Washburn community, but it will encourage travelers to stop instead of passing through.

“This is a project I have been committed to since the beginning,” stated Representative Dennis Roach. “The sidewalk system is part of an overall effort to vitalize the area for years to come.”

The grant is made possible through a federally funded program administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

“Including this year’s enhancement grants, TDOT has helped fund approximately $189 million worth of transportation related projects such as the restoration of historic facilities, bike and pedestrian trails, landscaping and other non-traditional transportation projects,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “These grants were made possible in the 1990s when Congress established a grant system funding activities designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation’s transportation system.”

According to the grant application, the project will add more than 6,000 feet of new sidewalks in the Washburn community.