The U.S. Department of Transportation gave Little Rock a $2 million grant for a crossing deck park

Little Rock, Arkansas – The city of Little Rock has been given a $2 million planning grant by the U.S. Department of Transportation to begin construction on a deck park over Interstate 30.

This funding, which is a part of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, is intended especially for initiatives attempting to reunite community segments where the initial building of the interstate system had split.

Once it was established that I-30 met those criteria, Fifty for the Future hired Garver Engineers to draft the grant proposal in March 2022.

The Little Rock Area Chamber provided assistance in compiling the necessary data and addenda.

A group of Little Rock-area businessmen who care about the community makes up the nonprofit organization Fifty for the Future.

The city, the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and the Coalition of Little Rock Neighborhoods were co-applicants on the grant proposal, which was submitted in October 2022.

To serve as a link between the process and the neighborhoods that would benefit, the Coalition of Little Rock Neighborhoods was invited to participate.

The Coalition’s president, Kathy Wells, helped the group submit letters of support from groups and community figures who speak for downtown residents.

From the 30 Crossing Project’s inception, the Little Rock business community has been working behind the scenes.

To make sure the renovation benefited downtown, they sought to improve the overall design.

A deck park above the freeway was the most desired design.

The deck would be above 6th and 9th Street and act as a lid over the interstate’s low-grade section.

Throughout the following four years, funding for construction will be given out annually by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Public input is welcome during the planning stage, and specifics will be provided after a timetable has been established.