Connecting highland: access, neighborhood growth, engagement (project change) includes completion of a feasibility study to cap the railroad ditch that runs through downtown gastonia, which creates…

The Federal Highway Administration awarded the City of Gastonia, North Carolina, $2 million under the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (CFDA 20.940) on April 15, 2026, for a feasibility study to cap the railroad ditch running through downtown Gastonia and a connectivity study for the downtown area. The railroad ditch creates a barrier to mobility, connectivity, access, and economic development for transportation-disadvantaged communities north of downtown. Performance runs through December 31, 2030, with work performed in Gastonia, North Carolina. The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program provides federal financial assistance for planning grants and capital construction grants to address infrastructure barriers and reconnect communities by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to connectivity.

Connecting highland: access, neighborhood growth, engagement (project change) includes completion of a feasibility study to cap the railroad ditch that runs through downtown gastonia, which creates a barrier to mobility, connectivity, access, and economic development to the transportation disadvantaged communities to the north, as well as an overall connectivity study for the downtown.