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Belmont staff to pursue USDOT BUILD grant, council asks for prioritized project options
Summary
Belmont officials said the city will apply for a USDOT BUILD grant (up to $25 million) to improve the corridor from Catawba Street to I‑85; staff will hire engineers to firm up costs and present prioritized project options to council before the Feb. 24 application deadline.
Belmont City Manager Miles Braswell told the City Council on Jan. 5 that staff will seek a USDOT BUILD grant to pay for comprehensive corridor improvements from Catawba Street north to I‑85, with priority work at the Park Street intersections with Wilkinson Boulevard and Catawba Street.
"Belmont is located within a rural‑designated metropolitan statistical area and is therefore eligible for 100% federal funding," Braswell said, and noted the city could apply for up to $25,000,000. He told council that staff plans to engage an engineering firm to produce detailed cost estimates and strengthen the application.
Why it matters: The BUILD program funds multimodal projects meant to reduce congestion and improve safety; winning federal funds would allow Belmont to limit local matching requirements and accelerate major intersection upgrades identified in the city’s Vision Zero planning work. Applications opened Nov. 26 and are due to USDOT by 5 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2026.
Council members pressed staff on whether existing bond projects or MPO priorities could be repackaged for the BUILD application. One councilmember pointed to the list of deferred projects and said the city could likely fill a $25 million request from already‑identified needs. Braswell responded that while prior studies (for example, work by Gannett Fleming on a prior transportation bond) gave preliminary estimates for some intersections, staff prefers an independent engineering estimate to make the application competitive.
Staff next steps: Braswell said planning staff, other city departments, the Vision Zero task force and advisory board will work with an engineering firm to identify specific projects and costs. He told council staff would aim to present a set of options at the Feb. 5 workshop; if more time is needed, staff would ask the mayor to schedule a special meeting before the Feb. 24 deadline.
Budget and timing: Council acknowledged a compressed timeline if the city waits for engineering work. Braswell said any contract for consultant work would be brought back for council approval as a budget amendment if required.
The council did not vote on the grant application at the meeting; Braswell asked for council approval to proceed with the application and said staff would return with cost estimates and a recommended request amount.
