(BIVN) – The reconstruction of the 4-Mile Creek Bridge in Hilo is moving forward under a state and county partnership, officials say.

The office of Hilo councilwoman Sue Lee Loy announced on Monday that Bill 97, a $6-million county appropriation, “is being fast-tracked to link up with the funding match of $12-million from State Representative Richard Onishi,” which will provide the $18 million needed to carry out the multi-pronged project. Bill 97 will be heard by the Hawaiʻi County Council on December 8, 2021.

Bill 97 notes that 4-Mile Creek Bridge “is a 100-year-old historical bridge, and its historical features will be retained while modernizing and implementing the necessary structural and safety improvements and planned to reduce risks to documented hazards.”

The “3-1 match” funding between the County and the State “is advantageous and smart,” councilmember Lee Loy says. “Representative Onishi and I will be watching the execution of this project closely. We have to be well-organized with contracts for this type of hard infrastructure and get the jobs done on-time and on-budget.”