by Holli SullivanÂ
Vanderburgh County State Representative
Nearly 550 miles of roads wind through Vanderburgh County. The quality of our infrastructure is key to attracting employers, growing our economy and enhancing the quality of life. To continue improving local roads and bridges, Vanderburgh County recently received more than $400,000 through Indiana’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program.
This grant funding is made available through the Indiana Department of Transportation as a result of a law I co-authored in 2016, which has since been expanded. In total, more than $5.5 million has been awarded to Vanderburgh County, Evansville and Darmstadt to invest in local road projects. Funding can be used toward road and bridge preservation, road construction, intersection improvements, guardrail replacements, and signage.
To qualify for funding, local governments must provide local matching funds, 50 percent for larger communities or 25 percent for smaller communities, from a funding source approved for road and bridge construction. This means communities across Indiana can participate in this program and move forward with much-needed projects.
Our state’s fully-funded, comprehensive road funding plan is helping to improve our roads, alleviate traffic congestion and eliminate costs associated with years of deferred maintenance. The Community Crossings program reflects an unprecedented partnership between the state and local communities to invest in maintaining and improving transportation infrastructure. It’s a big win for Hoosier communities large and small and gives them the ability to stretch their dollars further to focus on completing road and bridge projects. Our goal is to maintain this momentum to solidify our reputation as the Crossroads of America.
There will be an estimated $100 million available for communities statewide as part of the next round of grants during the 2020 call for projects More information on this next round of funding can be found at www.in.gov/indot.
Indiana is a national leader for making strong investments in our roads and bridges. As chair of the House Roads and Transportation Committee, I remain committed to keeping our infrastructure safe and functioning for years to come.
