HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (July 1, 2011) - A federal grant secured by U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) will create a transportation corridor within the interior core of The University of Alabama in Huntsville campus. The grant will construct an interconnecting pedestrian/bicycle route, thus providing a better connection between the north and south ends of campus, according to university officials. Sen. Shelby is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded $1,646,000 to the UAH Intermodal Facility for the construction of the transportation corridor. "It is critical that Alabama's universities have strong infrastructure in place to support students, faculty and community members as well as surrounding businesses," Shelby said. "The University of Alabama in Huntsville will use this grant to make improvements that are essential for efficient transportation on campus." The corridor will be composed of walkways for pedestrians, bicycle lanes, covered bicycle storage, extensive landscaping and green space, and other pedestrian use amenities. Construction is expected to begin late this year and should be finished before students arrive for the Fall 2012 semester, according to Mike Finnegan, assistant vice president of facilities. "This generous grant by Sen. Shelby will improve the efficiency and safety of traffic on our campus," Finnegan said. "It will create more of a demand for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, thus adding to our transition of a more traditional campus setting. This infrastructure will also make the campus safer by separating vehicular traffic from pedestrian and bicycle traffic." He added that the corridor would also be helpful to meet the needs of the university's mobility-challenged students. The corridor is adjacent to the campus Intermodal Facility in the center of campus. The north end begins at Holmes Avenue and will run south to Lakeside Drive. For more informationcontact Ray Garner256.824.6397(256.UAH.NEWS)ray.garner@uah.edu