Road Improvement Project
The City of Carbondale is seeking $7,645,705 through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rural Surface Transportation Grant program. The City is in need of improvements to several major roads (Giant City, Marion, Oak, Pleasant Hill, Poplar, and Washington) that provide access to key education, healthcare, and economic institutions. These roads establish a vital transportation network that is no longer in a state of good repair and that needs immediate investment to make them more reliable and sustainable for our residents. All of the roads being proposed are in historically disadvantaged neighborhoods and high poverty census tracts. Investing in these improvements will improve access to emergency care, employment centers, education assets, other essential services, healthcare providers, and mental health treatment and rehabilitation facilities. Further, improving these roads will improve pedestrian and bicycle access which will create more choices for our residents while also making transportation options more equitable. The proposed resurfacing includes milling of the old surface, pavement and curb patching as necessary, ADA curb ramp upgrades, installation of new hot-mix asphalt paving, installation of pavement markings, and appurtenant construction. In addition, where bicycle infrastructure is currently absent and the existing pavement width will allow for a road diet.