Rock Hill looks again to get millions of dollars for iconic pedestrian bridge
A new federal grant has Rock Hill’s downtown pedestrian bridge back on track, after plans were derailed by prior federal decisions.
The Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study gave preliminary approval last week to what’s expected to be $3 million in federal air quality funding for the bridge over two years. The city could come back for more money toward the more than $8-million project.
Rock Hill’s plans for a centerpiece pedestrian bridge over Dave Lyle Boulevard seemed set when the city received a more than $10 million Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program grant in early 2024. It was the largest grant the city ever received.
Last year, though, passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act removed funding for the Reconnecting Communities program.
Rock Hill applied for $3 million from the air quality grant program this year, which is the full amount it has available for the urbanized York and Lancaster counties region. Fort Mill also applied for $3 million to coordinate traffic signals across the town.
Both programs are meant to improve traffic in their respective communities.
Last week’s vote split the existing funding at $1.5 million each for Rock Hill and Fort Mill, with an expectation that the same will happen with $3 million next year.
A key connector for Rock Hill
In the spring of last year, just before Rock Hill lost the Reconnecting Communities funding, city Economic Development Director Lisa Brown described the pedestrian bridge as a connection point for the city.
A major rail line runs parallel to Dave Lyle, splitting downtown. The pedestrian bridge would cross both with a 200-foot-long, 10-foot-wide cable stay bridge. It would have stairs and elevators on both sides.
“Really this is going to be the iconic centerpiece of our downtown,” Brown said last year.
Last week’s preliminary grant approval sets off a 21-day public comment period.
The transportation group can finalize it on June 26. That’s the same timeline for the Fort Mill grant, and for an unrelated funding request for a large Rock Hill park project.
The transportation group also gave preliminary approval to a nearly $635,000 request to fund a sidewalk extension for Rock Hill’s Southside Regional Park. The city would provide matching funds for the nearly $800,000 project.
The new sidewalk would run from Friedheim to Milhaven roads.
The regional park will have basketball, tennis courts and pickleball courts, baseball and football fields, playgrounds, an amphitheater and walking trails on more than 100 acres.