GREENFIELD — The Franklin County Agricultural Society has received a $75,000 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism to complete its $250,000 walkway repaving project, aimed at making the grounds more accessible to disabled visitors.

Agricultural Society President Michael Nelson said the funding marked the third phase of the walkways improvement project — the Agricultural Society’s three-year effort to pave all of its walkways — by hiring Johnson Asphalt Paving LLC, of Northfield, to pave the pathways that run through the fairgrounds’ infield. He said the project’s final phase will be complete by the beginning of this year’s Franklin County Fair on Sept. 5 and added that construction on the final phase began within days of receiving the grant funds.

“It’s a complete makeover of literally half the fairgrounds, not only to bring it into compliance with [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessibility, but also providing the means of transportation for all of our guests so that they can get around the fairgrounds, which is critical to us as a board,” Nelson said. “Prior to our starting this multi-phase project, our walkways were in deplorable condition. We did have some paved walkways that were put down in the 80s, and they were well beyond their lifespan, full of potholes, lots of cracks, lots of trip hazards. Our priority was to get those taken care of first.”

Nelson mentioned he struggled to push his child’s stroller down the fairground’s walkways and could only imagine the challenges someone might have navigating the paths on a wheelchair or walker.

“This walkway literally brings people from the other half of the fairgrounds right to the front of the main stage,” said Nelson. “Previously, this was just kind of trampled-on grass and puddles – now this is an actual connecting artery between one half of the fairgrounds and the other half. It was a huge, huge addition, which will make things so much easier for somebody with a disability.”

In addition to pathway repaving, the Agricultural Society will remove a roughly three-row-deep portion of its grandstand seating to accommodate wheelchair users, a project that Nelson said was funded with a $5,000 grant from FirstLight Power.

The fairgrounds’ portion of the funding represents a portion of about $6 million distributed to tourism sites across Massachusetts. In a written statement, Gov. Maura Healey said the funds not only serve as economic support for municipalities, but as investments in the state’s historical tourism sites, including those that will participate in celebrations planned around the country’s 250th anniversary.

“Massachusetts is a world-class destination thanks to our rich culture and iconic landmarks,” Healey said. “With these grants, we are supporting small businesses, driving job creation, and investing in local and regional economies across the state. Many of the destinations we are supporting with these grants are tied to our revolutionary past and will have a critical role to play in our upcoming MA250 celebrations.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.