Cemetery Road: Hilliard seeking grants for I-270 pedestrian bridge
Hilliard is moving forward with a feasibility study that includes applying for federal grants to construct a pedestrian bridge on or near the Cemetery Road bridge over Interstate 270.
“It’s a slam dunk to go after federal dollars,” said Letty Shamp, deputy engineer for Hilliard.
The feasibility study will not exceed $50,000, she said.
Schamp received approval from Hilliard City Council on Sept. 27 to proceed with the feasibility study.
“Anytime we can make our city more cyclist and pedestrian friendly, it’s something we should do,” council member Cynthia Vermillion said.
City officials will start immediately, issuing requests for proposals to qualified consultants to conduct a feasibility study, prepare cost estimates and to apply for at least two grants in 2022 – one from the Highway Safety Improvement Program and the other from the Mid-ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Attributable Funds.
“It is necessary to initiate this study in 2021 to ensure that the upfront work is completed in a timely manner and to facilitate the grant submissions in the summer of 2022,” Schamp said.
The feasibility study is in reaction to the results of a MORPC program that studied the Cemetery Road corridor.
“The planning study identified safety concerns and barriers to mobility, particularly for vulnerable road users,” Schamp said. “I-270 is a significant barrier to mobility, with no accommodations for pedestrians or bicyclists, a high volume of traffic, free-flow ramps and a high number of crashes.”
It has not been determined if the bridge deck would be widened or if a separate bridge would be built, she said.
Construction likely would cost about $5 million and would be “difficult” for the city to fund locally, Schamp said.
If the city does not receive funding via one or both of the grants, the project would be put on hold, and city officials would consider resubmitting the project in the future, she said.
“But I think we can put something together that will score well (on grant applications),” Schamp said.
If constructed, the pedestrian and bicycle path would connect networks of other paths on either side of the bridge and facilitate alternate modes of transportation between residences and businesses on Britton Parkway on the west side of I-270 and Trueman Boulevard on the east side of I-270, she said.