Sidewalk improvements near a Little Rock elementary school are in the works thanks to a $100,000 grant that the University District Partnership helped secure.

Ron Copeland, director of the partnership at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department approved the Safe Routes to School grant to build sidewalks on South Harrison Street in Little Rock. Funding will also help fill gaps in sidewalks between 22nd and 24th streets in Little Rock, as well as 12th and 14th streets.

Copeland said the Safe Routes to School Project will benefit students and parents of Franklin Elementary School, which has seen an average enrollment of 329 students for the past four years.

The project is a cooperative agreement between the University District Development Corporation (UDDC) and the City of Little Rock Public Works Department. The city is responsible for ongoing, continued maintenance of the proposed infrastructure project.

The UDDC is coordinating the project activities among partners including Franklin School, the University District Neighborhoods Association, Fair Park Residents Association, and UALR Children International.