SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The City of Springfield is in the process of approving $9.2 million in federal grants that would go toward improving various roads, intersections and sidewalks across the city.

Zone 3 Councilman Brandon Jenson says he will be supporting the full approval of the grants. Springfield will be contributing $1.8 million to the projects.

“The grants are an 80-20 split,” Jenson said, “So essentially, for every $2 of our local taxpayer funds that we put into the project, we’re getting $8 in return from the federal government.”

At the Aug. 7 city council meeting, members unanimously voted to approve three grant agreements with the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. One of those also goes toward traffic signal infrastructure.

“It covers the systems that make our traffic lights change in a timely manner, covers pedestrian infrastructure like crosswalk signage and making sure the buttons work whenever you push them, that sort of thing,” Jenson said.

Ian Bartz lives in Galloway, one of the neighborhoods that will be impacted by the construction. He says he walks Lone Pine Avenue and Republic Road nearly every day and notices some problem areas.

“This is a very major road to me,” Bartz said. “There’s a couple of spots where like, for example, up near The Rock, there’s a couple of holes in the road, but nothing on this road specifically that’s major, but it’ll be nice to have.”

Part of the federal funding requirements is that the construction is completed within a two-year period. The earliest construction projects are expected to finish in 2026.

“As long as it doesn’t impact it too heavily, whatever they got to do, I won’t mind,” Bartz said.

All three grants are expected to be approved at city council’s next meeting on Monday, Aug. 21.

“It represents what’s possible whenever our city is thoughtful,” Jenson said. “Transportation is really the thing that connects all of us to each other. So it’s absolutely a quality of place initiative, making sure that we’re providing sound and reliable transportation avenues for citizens and for businesses alike.”