A couple of new grants have been awarded to draw even more tourists and day-trippers to the Illinois River Road.

On Tuesday, Anaise Berry, director of the Illinois Byways program, said the program had received two grants that would help celebrate the history and archaeology of the byway and make the byway more of a destination for cycling enthusiasts. 

The Illinois River Road received a $70,500 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration which will enable it to share hundreds of historical sites and stories with byway travelers through downloadable audio narratives.