MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Ingham County awarded Meridian Township $575,000 to repair and replace pathways and bridges.

The funding was approved through the County parks and trails millage that passed in 2014.

Several of the Township's existing pathway surfaces and pedestrian bridges were evaluated at that time, and reports showed that at least three miles of trails needed maintenance. These areas also fell inside the zone of what was being funded.

The money will be used for trail and surface improvements, and to repair or replace a total of seven bridges.

Some of the bridges that will be repaired include those in Central Park, Nancy Moore Park, and those along the bicycle pathway system.

LuAnn Maisner, Director of Parks and Recreation for Meridian Township, said the Township has two years to complete this project.

The Engineering Department will design the bridge work this winter, and the first phase of repairs will be completed next spring. Other repairs will be finished by 2019.

Maisner also said the Township is currently in the process of applying for a grant to build a new trail that will stretch from MSU's campus to Park Lake Road.