White Hall gets $260,000 sidewalk grant
As a February recipient of a 2022 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant, the city of White Hall received $260,000 to build an approximately half-mile stretch of sidewalk leading up to Taylor Elementary School.
The sidewalk will run from the intersection of White Hall Avenue and East Street, and south on East Street to Wesley Lane, 805 West St., said Mayor Noel Foster.
A second sidewalk will be constructed along White Hall Avenue from Highway 365, also Dollarway Road, to West Street, said Drew Hoggard, Arkansas Department of Transportation District 2 Engineer, who will oversee the project.
“Essentially the sidewalks will link White Hall Junior High School with Taylor Elementary School,” Hoggard said.
TAP grants require a minimum of 20% match, so White Hall’s part could be $52,000.
A sidewalk must meet federal specifications and be designed by an Arkansas licensed engineer, according to ARDOT.
The sidewalk will be 5 feet wide and constructed with a 3-foot buffer of grass between the sidewalk and the curb and gutter, Hoggard said.
In addition to adding to the city’s walkability, Foster said this sidewalk will “make it safer for students,” whether walking to Taylor Elementary or getting on and off the bus or out of a drop-off vehicle.
A construction start date has yet to be determined, Foster said.
This is the first phase of a two phase plan, with the second extending the sidewalk south to Highway 270, Hoggard said.
If White Hall city officials had their way, there would be more walkways.
“We’d love to put sidewalks all around the city, but [because of the high cost] we have to do it a piece at a time,” Foster said.
TAP started in 2013, and according to the ARDOT website, the federal funding that they oversee can be used for a variety of projects including sidewalks, trails, and other pathways used by pedestrians and non-motorized bikers.
These are designed to provide safe routes for kids, older adults and individuals with disabilities, ARDOT stated.