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Pedestrians in Elmer City will be more footloose and fancy-free with a pathway project being completed later this year. 

In 2018, phase one of the pathway project built a path along the Lower River Road from Third Street to about halfway to Front Street, with two crosswalks connecting to the Downriver Trail across the Lower River Road.

Phase two will finish the path down to Front Street. 

Front Street’s sidewalk, which currently stops short of the corner with the Lower River Road, will be completed and connect with the pathway. 

During their March 11 meeting, the Elmer City city council chose Wheeler Excavation to complete phase two of their multi-use pathway project, and White Diamond Concrete for the Front Street sidewalk improvements.

Wheeler Excavation was the low bidder for the pathway project at approximately $108,500.

The low bid beat out three other bids, which went as high as $165,500, and also beat out engineers Gray and Osborne’s higher estimate for the project of $143,000.

White Diamond Concrete was the low bidder for the Front Street sidewalk improvements project at about $103,200, beating out three other bidders that went as high as $135,700, but still higher than the engineer’s estimate of $97,800 for the project. 

The pathway project is paid for with money from a federally funded Surface Transportation Block Grant, applied for through the state Department of Transportation, plus a 15% match from the state’s Transportation Improvement Board, which is also covering the costs of the sidewalk project.