State Grant Headed Portland's Way For Sidewalk Improvements

PORTLAND, CT — Phase III of Portland's Complete Streets Main Street sidewalk improvements project is getting a boost from Hartford.

Gov. Ned Lamont and Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto on Tuesday announced that the Connecticut Department of Transportation is awarding more than $12 million in grants to 17 towns and cities throughout the state for projects that will improve transportation accessibility and safety, and $612,000 of that has been awarded to Portland.

The grants are being awarded through CTDOT’s Community Connectivity Grant Program. Now in its sixth round of awards, this state-funded program provides financial support for local infrastructure initiatives that make conditions safer, more accommodating, and equitable for pedestrians and bicyclists in urban, suburban, and rural centers.

“Our main streets and community centers serve as vital social, economic, and transportation hubs,” Lamont said in a statement. “Improving local infrastructure for all users in community centers is a win for our whole state and opens the door to further economic growth.”

The funding limits for grants awarded in this solicitation can only be used for construction activities that range from $100,000 to $800,000