August 16, 2022 — The City of South Bend was awarded a $2.4 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant last week to fund planning and engineering work related to the removal of antiquated highway infrastructure along the Eddy Street bridge over the St. Joseph River. The study area includes the cloverleaf interchanges on the Eddy Street bridge along with the street network around the South Bend Farmers Market, commonly referred to as the Market District. The Eddy Street bridge and interchanges are part of Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) infrastructure.
Grant funds will be used to conduct further planning, engineering and environmental review work in the study area to determine the impacts of the removal of the cloverleaf interchanges and establishment of a network of interconnected, neighborhood scaled streets to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. The engineering and environmental review work is anticipated to take up to three years to complete. After this stage, the City will look at applying for other federal funds to construct the project.
“I am proud of our City team for winning this competitive RAISE grant that will advance connectivity, sustainability, equity, safety and quality of life in our community,” said Mayor James Mueller. “Our Market District is already a regional destination. This major infrastructure project will take the neighborhood to the next level.”
Throughout 2021, the City’s Planning Team worked with Toole Design Group, a national planning and engineering firm, to investigate how the loop ramps of the Eddy Street cloverleaf could be removed and replaced with a connected network of streets. Building upon this work, the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, led by Dean Polyzoides, illustrated how the new street layout could reconnect existing neighborhoods to the river, unlock opportunities for new development and provide an enhanced riverfront experience.
The RAISE federal grants are administered through the U.S. Department of Transportation. South Bend’s proposal was one of 166 projects selected as a recipient this year with the City matching the grant award with $600,000.
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