Jefferson City riverfront access effort ineligible for grant

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Efforts to build a bridge to improve riverfront access in Jefferson City have hit a stumbling block.

The Jefferson City News-Tribune (https://bit.ly/2dcFVAY ) reports that the Missouri Department of Transportation has determined that the city is ineligible for a $400,000 federal grant.

The city hoped to use the money to help pay for the nearly $3 million project to develop the 30-acre Adrian’s Island peninsula. Plans call for a nearly 830-foot bridge that would offer seven overlooks of the Capitol and the riverfront.

All is not lost without the grant. Donor B.J. DeLong has pledged $1 million for the project.

But city engineer David Bange said the federal grant was pivotal to the city establishing a green light status for the Adrian’s Island project, legitimizing a final private fundraising campaign.

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Information from: Jefferson City News Tribune, https://www.newstribune.com