Indy Standard

Hancock County lawmakers have announced that local communities will soon embark on new road and bridge projects with the aid of recently released state funding. This financial support is part of Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant Program, which is designed for road reconstruction, bridge preservation, intersection improvements, and other infrastructure projects.

A total of 223 communities across Indiana are set to receive more than $139 million in state matching grants. "The Community Crossings Matching Grant Program helps cities, towns and counties maintain their infrastructure so Hoosiers and others can travel safely and efficiently," stated State Representative Cory Criswell from Middletown. He added, "After hearing from residents about this need, I'm glad the state can help fund more of these projects that will benefit our community."

Among the grant recipients are Fortville with $892,282, Hancock County receiving $620,645, and McCordsville allocated $1 million. State Representative Chris Jeter from Fishers commented on the financial health of Indiana: "Indiana remains in a strong place financially and that's why we can partner with our communities to make strategic investments in road and bridge projects." He emphasized that these funds will contribute to safer and more efficient infrastructure for residents, visitors, and businesses.

To qualify for this competitive grant program, smaller municipalities must provide a 25 percent match in local funds while larger communities need to offer a 50 percent match. Additionally, state law mandates that 50 percent of available matching funds be awarded annually to communities within counties with populations of 50,000 or fewer. Since its inception in 2016, the Community Crossings initiative has distributed over $1.8 billion towards improving local roads and bridges.

For further information about the program, interested parties can visit in.gov/indot/communitycrossings and click on "Community Crossings Matching Grant."