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Garcetti Announces $1B Plan To Restore 11-Mile Stretch Of LA River

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Officials unveiled a $1 billion federal plan Thursday to help restore parts of the Los Angeles River.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Thursday officially recommended that Congress approve Alternative 20, which will provide funding to widen the river, restore its habitat and provide access points and bike trails along an 11-mile stretch north of downtown, according to officials.

The original plan only called for a $453 million improvement project.

Mayor Eric Garcetti took to Twitter to celebrate the announcement.

Nearly 8,600 Angelenos have signed Garcetti's online petition in support of Alternative 20, even as Garcetti and other river supporters have shuttled back and forth to secure funding for what the mayor called a "critical infrastructure project."

The Los Angeles City Council has also explored offering kayaking and duck boat tours to stir up local interest ahead of the LA River restoration effort.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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