Indy Standard

Marion County communities are set to benefit from state funding for infrastructure improvements, as announced by local lawmakers. The funding is part of Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant Program, which supports road reconstruction, bridge preservation, and intersection improvements. A total of 223 communities across the state will receive over $139 million in matching grants.

State Rep. Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis) emphasized the collaboration between state and local governments through this program: "The Community Crossings program is a great example of state and local government working together to complete essential road and bridge projects on a faster timeline."

Several Marion County areas have been named grant recipients, including Clermont with $277,875; Homecroft with $139,215; Indianapolis receiving $1.5 million; Lawrence with $492,378; Meridian Hills getting $167,352; and Speedway also receiving $1.5 million.

State Rep. Julie McGuire (R-Indianapolis) highlighted the importance of reliable transportation infrastructure: "Reliable transportation infrastructure is critical to Hoosiers' safety and our business community."

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

State Rep. Chris Jeter (R-Fishers) spoke on Indiana's financial strength enabling such partnerships: "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."

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