Sartell to Use Grant to Build New Sidewalk for Schoolkids

SARTELL -- Sartell will use a $435,287 Safe Routes to School Grant to create a safe route for kids near Pine Meadow Elementary to bike or walk to school.

Sartell Planning Associate Therese Haffner says they will build a sidewalk along Second Street South so kids on the south side of the street have a safe way to connect with Pinecone Road.  She says with the speed limit at 40 miles-per-hour and traffic counts exceeding 11,000 cars on Second Street South per day, they didn't want kids to have to cross the road to access a sidewalk.

Haffner says they have over 300 kids who will benefit from the new sidewalk.

The grant is for 80% of the project and the city must pay the remaining 20% as a local match.

The sidewalk will be along Second Street South and run from 4th Avenue South to Pinecone Road.  The project is slated for construction in 2016.