City of Tucson Gets $900,000 Grant to Design Interstate 19 Pedestrian Bridge

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced that the City of Tucson was awarded a $900,000 planning grant as part of the first-ever Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. 

The Atravesando Comunidades grant is part of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero’s vision to bring federal dollars and infrastructure projects to address historic disinvestment. The funds will allow the City of Tucson to begin designing a 500-foot pedestrian bridge over Interstate 19 to West Nebraska Street. 

Currently, access to educational and economic opportunities is severely affected due to the distance that Tucsonans on the east side of the interstate must travel to access needed services on the other side of the freeway. 

This leaves seniors and vulnerable populations exposed to Tucson’s high temperatures during the summer. The new bridge will cut down walking time by nearly half. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program aims to reconnect communities separated by transportation infrastructure.