A total of $16 million in federal money will help transform downtown New Rochelle.

The money will be used to reconnect Lincoln Avenue neighborhoods that were divided during the inception of major road projects.

The six-lane Memorial Highway and the unfinished I-95 construction bulldozed Central New Rochelle in 1950’s, dividing a community of color.

“...It cut through the heart of New Rochelle, it fractured and bulldozed parts of a vibrant neighborhood and left scars of systemic inequality that are felt to this day," said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Memorial Highway was supposed to connect I-95 to the Hutchinson River and Cross County Parkways but it was abandoned after the first phase; stopping at Lincoln Avenue.

The "LINC" project will install new bike and pedestrian areas along the Memorial Highway overpass on Cedar Street.

Officials say the open space will improve flooding and drainage issues on the roads vulnerable to flash flooding.

Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand say New Rochelle is one of the first U.S. cities to get money from the "Neighborhood Access & Equity Program" as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Memorial Highway will be converted into a walkable and bikeable street with open space, greenery and an open new elevated park similar to New York City's The High Line.

The city expects the design and environmental review to be finished in 2024 and construction to start in 2025.