(ABC 6 News) – The City of Rochester has confirmed the $2.5 million will be used to plan the overpass for South Broadway Avenue.

The goal for the project which will run from 4th Street through 9th Street is to create safe walkways for pedestrians while giving surrounding neighborhoods better access to the community.

“What’s really important to remember is that this takes it from basically a zero project all the way to we will have documents that are ready to bid,” explains Rochester Deputy City Administrator Cindy Steinhauser.

“What we anticipate for costs is not unusual for a project of this scale and scope.”

The planning process would cost an estimated $2,500 per footstep of the nearly half mile stretch.

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(ABC 6 News) — U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $2.5 million for the South Broadway Avenue project planning in Rochester.

The grant was provided through USDOT’s RAISE program and will support the study, design, and engineering of a Complete Street and pedestrian/bike overpass along the approximate half-mile corridor on South Broadway Avenue between 4th Street SE and 9th Street SE.

“Broadway Avenue is the main north-south access to downtown Rochester and this federal support will improve the safety of this major corridor,” said Klobuchar via a press release. “By building an overpass, we will make Broadway Avenue safer for pedestrians, bikers, drivers, and all travelers.”

“If we’re going to build an economy that works for everyone, then we need to prioritize investments in vital infrastructure, like roads and bridges, that connect people with opportunities all across the state,” said Smith via a press release. “This project will make South Broadway Avenue safer and more accessible for Rochester drivers, cyclists, transit users and pedestrians alike.”

RAISE grants are used by communities across the country for a wide variety of transportation projects.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Klobuchar and Smith supported and was signed into law in 2021, delivered a 50 percent increase in the amount of available funding for the RAISE grants, as well as resources for improving the state’s roads, bridges, public transportation, and water infrastructure.