MCLEAN COUNTY, Ill. (WMBD) -- Some money awarded for improvement projects in McLean County last year is no longer coming to central Illinois.

The $675,000 BUILD Raise Grant was originally awarded to McLean County in 2024, but the U.S. Department of Transportation has withdrawn the funds, District 8 County Board Member Lea Cline said during Thursday's county board meeting.

She said that the Department of Transportation told county staff that the grant no longer aligned with the department's priorities.

One of the Assistant County Administrators, Cathy Dreyer, said the funds were supposed to be used for the preliminary engineering for the final nine miles of the Route 66 bike trail.

Cline said this is more than just an economic issue but also a safety issue.

"Between 2018 and 2023, six

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