The Peoria City Council has approved a big step forward for a downtown project that’s been in the works for three decades.

Council unanimously gave staff the green light Sept. 17 to apply for a planning grant of up to $2 million to pay for a Design Concept Report for a pedestrian bridge over Grand Avenue near downtown Peoria. As part of the vote, council pledged to allocate up to $450,000 from the fiscal year 2026 capital improvement budget as part of the 20% grant match requirement.

Peoria has been considering a pedestrian bridge for more than 30 years to connect the downtown area and improve safety for students from nearby Peoria High School and Cheyenne Elementary School crossing Grand Avenue and the railroad tracks to take a short-cut to get to campus. Grand Avenue is six lanes, often busy with high-speed traffic and has a history of crashes. From 2021 to 2023, there were 87 reported crashes on Grand Avenue near downtown Peoria, including two fatalities.

In 2020, Peoria received a $90,000 MAG Design Assistance Grant for a pedestrian bridge feasibility study. That study was completed and identified the 87th Avenue alignment as the best place to build an overpass. This area is located in the Pine District, represented by Councilmember Denette Dunn.

“This new pedestrian bridge is currently under design phase and is being considered for placement in the Pine District – previous news releases identified an incorrect district. The bridge will be a great benefit and safety feature for the entire region of south Peoria,” Dunn said.

If approved, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant will pay for the DCR to continue the planning, permitting and the design of the Grand Avenue pedestrian bridge. The maximum planning grant allocation is $2 million. All grant applications include a 20% match of the requested amount.

If Peoria is awarded this planning grant, the city will work with a consultant to get more community input before seeking future grants to build the bridge. A pedestrian bridge over Grand Avenue is expected to cost more than $20 million.

“The city of Peoria is committed to the safety and accessibility of the Grand Avenue corridor for our community,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Crawford, who represents the Acacia District, which inlcudes downtown Peoria. “With the continued progress in revitalizing our downtown, safe travel in and around this area is of utmost importance. And making sure those students can get to and from school safely in this area is critical.”