Improvements coming to Batesville, Mountain Home and Lynn

The Batesville, Mountain Home and Lynn communities will soon see improvements after being awarded funds from the Arkansas Department of Transportation. (ARDOT).

ARDOT announced the 2023 award recipients for the transportation alternatives program (TAP) and recreational trails program (RTP).

According to a release provided Dec. 7 the TAP was reinstituted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and provides an 80/20 reimbursement type grant program.

The funds may be used for pedestrian, bicyclist and other non-motorized forms of transportation and can include construction of on-road and off-road trail faciliteis, sidewalks, lighting and other safety-related infrastucture.

“The RTP is funded through a portion of TAP funds set aside specifically for recreational trails. These funds are eligible for maintenance and restoration of existing trails,

development and rehabilitation of trailside and trailhead facilities and trail linkages, and construction of new trails,” ARDOT’s release said. “For 2023, a total of 47 TAP projects were awarded for approximately $15 million and a total of 14 RTP projects were awarded for approximately $2 million. To be notified of future funding cycles for these programs.

The City of Mountain Home was awarded $500,000 for the McCabe Trails System, the City of Batesville was awarded $376,000 for the Aberdeen/Eagle Mountain Greenway Phase 7 and the City of Lynn received $82,000 for the Lynn City Park.