 beautiful bituminous. The city of Bemidji is another step closer to making three intersections of crosswalks more stylish. The purpose of the decorative crosswalks is to make the vehicular traffic more aware of pedestrians crossing and provide a pedestrian crossing to the downtown. Crosswalks at the intersections of highway 197 at 5th street, 3rd street, and 2nd street will get the upgrade. Federal funds will cover 80% of the construction costs and the city is responsible for the remainder 20% plus 100% of the design and inspection costs. This project has been in has been three years in the making all thanks to a grant. We applied three years ago and we got the we were selected as one of the projects for 2017 and as I stated because of the MnDOT project we're going to do this project in 2018. So the federal grant pays for 80% of the construction cost. Now while the project is expected to help drivers on the highway 197 take notice of pedestrians and remind them to slow down, the city of Bemidji views this project as another way to set Bemidji apart from other communities. During a work session last night, Bemidji City Council members voted on their favorite layout and designs. I think you'll see more of this being used. It's going to be interesting to see just how much it does cost but hopefully if it's as they say it's a long durable product and it lasts eight to ten years right now as I think everybody knows you drive there and you paint a crosswalk on a busy street and nine months later it's like where did the crosswalk paint go? The city is slated to receive federal funds in 2018 to construct the thermoplastic colored crosswalks. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland news please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.