Governor Haslam Announces Transportation Grant for Bells

Grant to fund Downtown Improvement Project Phase I

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam joined state and local leaders today to announce the award of a $359,988 transportation enhancement grant to the city of Bells for Phase I of the Downtown Improvement Project.

The first phase of this project includes the construction and reconstruction of sidewalks along Main Street from Front Street to a mid-block crossing. It also features Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades, concrete pavers and bands, landscaping, lighting and other pedestrian amenities. The project aims to improve downtown Bells’ physical environment, while enhancing the existing character and surrounding aesthetics within the downtown core.

“Downtown enhancement projects such as this one can serve as a catalyst for other investments and private sector improvements that can change the face of the entire area,” Haslam said during the event in downtown Bells. “I’m pleased the state can help make this investment in Crockett County.”

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

“Through Transportation Enhancement grants, TDOT has funded more than $259 million in non-traditional transportation projects,” TDOT Commissioner John Schroer said. “Established by Congress in the early 1990s, the program supports activities designed to strengthen the cultural, aesthetic and environmental aspects of the nation’s transportation system.”

A variety of activities such as the restoration of historic facilities, bike and pedestrian trails, landscaping and other non-traditional transportation projects are eligible for grant funds under the federal program.

State Sen. Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville) and state Rep. Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) represent Crockett County in the Tennessee General Assembly.