City Awarded $4 Million Eastern Federal Land Access Program Grant

Corinth’s proposed road and bridge improvements for a primary corridor to the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center has been slated for funding.

Mayor Tommy Irwin received notification on Friday that the project has been recommended for funding through the Eastern Federal Lands Access Program for a grant that would total about $3.2 million on an approximately $4 million project. The city would provide matching funds of around $790,000.

“This is a huge project,” said an excited Irwin. “It’s the continuation of the work of fixing infrastructure in Corinth.”

The project, which will likely be scheduled in phases, will include replacement of the bridge near Henry Cemetery on North Polk Street and some additional street improvements on Polk Street. Parts of Linden Street, Shiloh Road and Fulton Drive will also get upgrades.

“Part of that will include some additional sidewalks that help to link the downtown with the interpretive center,” said Dave Huwe, director of community development and planning.

Scheduled for funding during the years of fiscal 2016 to 2019, the project includes streets along the route that the National Park Service recommends for visitors coming from Shiloh National Military Park to the interpretive center on Linden Street.

Replacement of the dated bridge on North Polk Street will be a major piece of the project. The replacement cost has been estimated at $1.7 million for the 84-year-old bridge, which is currently the the lowest rated in terms of safety among the city’s approximately 27 bridges.

It is proposed to be replaced with a three-span bridge. The project will also rehabilitate a stretch of North Polk that is not state-maintained.

Linden Street from Fulton Drive to the interpretive center will get major improvements including curb and gutter.

The federal lands grants are distributed by formula among states that have federal lands managed by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is considered a very competitive grant program.