Hendricks County lawmakers announce $1 million to boost local road projects

STATEHOUSE (April 14, 2020) – Hendricks County recently received $1 million in state matching grants to bolster road and bridge improvements, according to local lawmakers.

State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) said over 200 Indiana cities, towns and counties received a combined total of $126.5 million through the Community Crossings Matching Grant program. The grants are made available through the Indiana Department of Transportation as a result of a law passed in 2017.

“While many are currently staying home during the pandemic, many of our communities are taking this time to get a jumpstart on much-needed road and bridge projects while traffic is down, and it’s safer to work on our roads,” Behning said. “Thanks to this grant, our community is able to continue investing in local infrastructure projects to keep motorists safe.”

State Rep. Greg Steuerwald (R-Avon) said the $1 million in grant funding can be used toward road and bridge preservation, road reconstruction, intersection improvements, guardrail replacements and signage. Smaller municipalities must provide a match of 25% in local funds, while large communities must provide a 50% match.

“With this program, there is a dedicated and ongoing funding source for local infrastructure projects,” Steuerwald said. “And, this is all being done without passing debt onto future generations.”

According to State Rep. Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton), more than $738 million in total has been distributed for local road projects through the Community Crossings program. State law requires annually that 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. 

“An essential element of Community Crossings is that so much of it is devoted to our smaller towns,” Thompson said. “While they may not get as much attention as our urban communities, they still deserve the same access to state resources that help them properly maintain their roads and bridges.”

An estimated $100 million will be available for communities opting to apply for these grants during the July 2020 call for projects. More information about the program and recipients can be found at www.in.gov/indot.