Indy Standard

State Representatives David Abbott and Ben Smaltz have announced that local communities in Northeast Indiana will benefit from new state funding for road and bridge projects. The funding comes from Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant Program, which supports infrastructure improvements such as road reconstruction, bridge preservation, and intersection enhancements.

The program will distribute over $139 million in state matching grants to 223 communities across Indiana. "Ensuring that our transportation routes are able to be maintained and upgraded will allow for future growth," stated Abbott. He emphasized the importance of safe and functional roadways for daily use, highlighting the significance of these grants for smaller communities.

Local grant recipients include Angola with $1.3 million, Auburn receiving $1 million, Dekalb County awarded $1.5 million, Ligonier with $1.4 million, Shipshewana also receiving $1.5 million, among others.

Smaltz remarked on the collaborative nature of the program: "The Community Crossings Matching Grant Program is a powerful example of what can be accomplished when state and local governments work together." He noted that these grants are crucial for making substantial investments in local infrastructure to attract residents and businesses.

To qualify for these competitive grants, smaller municipalities must provide a 25 percent match in local funds while larger communities need a 50 percent match. By law, half of the available matching funds are designated annually for communities within counties with populations of 50,000 or fewer. Since its inception in 2016, the Community Crossings program has awarded more than $1.8 billion to enhance local roads and bridges.

For further information about the program, visit in.gov/indot/communitycrossings.