SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The City of South Bend is reconstructing roughly 3.25 miles of sidewalk near Kennedy Primary Academy and Muessel Elementary School to make safer routes for students with the help of a federal grant.

The reconstruction project, which covers roughly 3.25 miles of sidewalk and 60 ADA curb ramps around the schools, is underway, with the end date estimated to be in mid-August.

During construction, residents are asked to only use open sidewalks and not walk through construction zones or closed sidewalk areas.

The total estimated cost of the project is $3 million, with the federal Safe Routes to School grant covering 80 percent of the cost.