Foot traffic on Elm Street has been an issue in Athens for some time. Many pedestrians like to traverse the area, either going to a local convenience store or crossing the highway to the Athens Sportsplex.

Thanks to a grant from the Alabama Department of Transportation, the safety issue for pedestrians will soon be solved. The City Council voted unanimously Monday to accept a $640,000 grant from ALDOT to help build a sidewalk down Elm Street in between Garrett Drive and U.S. 31.

The city will contribute $160,000 to the project in an 80-20 match for a total of $800,000.

“In 2017, we had a fatality here with someone on a bicycle,” Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks said. “Even before then, we knew this was a dangerous area. There are people that walk to a local store, and they have nowhere to walk.”

Marks said Elm Street is now part of Alabama 99, which is a state highway. That meant the City of Athens was required to work with the state before a sidewalk could be put in.

The project will include a pedestrian bridge that spans Swan Creek, meaning pedestrians will no longer have to walk along the roadway to get across.

There have been incidents involving people trying to cross the creek in the past as well.

“It is huge,” said Capt. Anthony Pressnell with Athens Police Department. “We have kids that walk in this area that go to the high school. It will get them off the edge of the road onto a sidewalk, where they are a lot safer. We can’t wait for this to get started and be completed.”

Pressnell said Elm Street is one of the busiest roads in the city, and people walk along this stretch of it at all hours of the day. He said the 2017 fatality happened around 10 p.m.

According to APD, there have been 152 accidents in this area of Elm Street since 2007.

“ALDOT has been aware this is a dangerous area, and we want to thank them and Gov. (Kay) Ivey for their support,” Marks said.

Public Works Director James Rich said going through the design, bidding and construction process should take about three years. According to the City of Athens, the sidewalk project will benefit more than 200 apartment units, including students who walk to school and clients of the Mental Health Center of North Alabama.

“This will help protect students who walk to Athens High and Athens Middle School and will make it safer for residents who walk to nearby stores,” Marks said. “After this project, we can then look for grant funding to continue south on U.S. 31, to connect with our sidewalk project that runs in front of Athens High to Pryor Street.”

— Lora Scripps contributed to this article.