Hamilton County and local communities can roll forward with road and bridge projects thanks to a recent boost in state funding, according to local legislators.
“A safe and reliable transportation network is critical to keeping our state and local economy running strong,” House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) said. “The Community Crossings grant helps communities make much-needed road and bridge improvements, which support Hoosier jobs and lead to economic development opportunities.”
A total of 252 communities across the state will receive over $207 million through Indiana’s Community Crossings Matching Grant Program. Funds can be used for road and bridge preservation, road reconstruction, intersection improvements and other items.
“This program is about the state making strong investments in our local communities,” State Rep. Chuck Goodrich (R-Noblesville) said. “These dollars go directly to specific projects, which bring improvements to our area along with creating jobs.”
Area grant recipients include:
- Arcadia: $174,000
- Cicero: $877,537
- Fishers: $1.5 million
- Noblesville: more than $1.1 million
- Hamilton County: $1.5 million
“I want to congratulate Hamilton County and the cities of Fishers and Noblesville for working hard to fund our roads and bridges and seeking out this matching grant funding to do so,” State Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn (D-Fishers) said. “I know that this funding will be put to good use maintaining our current infrastructure and executing new projects where possible. I will continue to support infrastructure funding for House District 32’s communities in Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, and Hamilton County. Statehouse leadership has indicated that next year’s budget session will include a robust conversation about Indiana’s road funding formula, which overwhelmingly disadvantages larger communities like ours. My goal for budget negotiations next year is to make sure our district receives a larger, more equitable proportion of funding – that way our roads, bridges and sidewalks can continue being excellent for years to come.”
“Indiana’s infrastructure is one of the best in the nation, and these matching grants are one of the many reasons why,” State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) said. “This program relieves some of the financial strain many cities and counties feel from increases in road maintenance costs.”
To qualify for the competitive grant, smaller municipalities provide a 25 percent match in local funds, while larger communities provide a 50 percent match. State law requires 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded annually to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. Since 2016, Community Crossings has awarded more than $1.6 billion to improve local roads and bridges.
“Hoosiers rely on our roads to travel safely, whether that’s to the grocery store, school or work,” State Rep. Donna Schaibley (R-Carmel) said. “Maintaining our local infrastructure is vital to our community’s economy and quality of life, and this money will help us continue to make critical investments for the future.”
“The Community Crossings grant program works because of the strong relationships between our state and local cities, towns and counties,” said State Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel). “Indiana has taken necessary steps to preserve our roads and bridges, which gives our state an advantage for future growth.”
Visit in.gov/indot/communitycrossings and click on “Community Crossings Matching Grant” to learn more about the program.
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