GF approves bridge grant application

The Grand Forks council will help pay for a bridge planning grant application as long as it only focuses on a Merrifield Road river crossing.
The council agreed to the $71-hundred dollar bill after East Grand Forks Mayor Steve Gander informed Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski this week that he would not support a larger “dry” bridge at 32nd Avenue. Gander says it would encroach too greatly on existing neighborhoods.
Council member Ken Vien says he still sees merit in a neighborhood bridge.  “Unless we do an inner-city bridge we’ve got severe (traffic) problems.”

To alleviate traffic congestion around the Phoenix School and along Belmont – Council President Dana Sande offered an alternative motion.  “I would move we instead of funding this study we take that money to study how to close the Point Bridge.  I will make that motion.”
Sande pulled his motion in favor of allowing a future Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss the issue.

East Grand Forks…Grand Forks County…and Polk County are also participating in the funding application.

In other council action:

Grand Forks will continue to look for ways to improve a stretch of Greenway that falls between 47th and 62nd Avenue South. The undevel-oped area has been subject to vandalism. Potential improvements in-clude such things as a paved trail…benches…and trash cans. The city council approved a motion last night (Tuesday) requesting staff to look for grants to help fund the project.