Among the biggest questions regarding the pedestrian bridge connecting South Knoxville and the UT campus: Who is it for, and how will it be used?

RAISE grants fund surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The City of Knoxville’s longstanding idea to build a pedestrian bridge across the Tennessee River has received a major boost.

“We are so excited to have secured the next round of funding to make the South Knoxville Pedestrian Bridge a reality,” Mayor Indya Kincannon said. “The federal RAISE grant, coupled with the $20 million from the state, will now propel this project to the next stage."

The City of Knoxville will receive almost $25 million in federal dollars to kickstart an ongoing downtown Knoxville pedestrian bridge project. In total, $24.7 million is going to the city from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) project,