Indy Standard

Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant Program has allocated over $4.1 million to local communities in Elkhart County for road and bridge projects. This initiative is part of a broader effort that will see 245 Indiana communities receiving more than $200 million in state matching grants this year.

State Representative David Abbott emphasized the importance of maintaining roadways, stating, "Roadways are essential for daily life and maintaining them is critical for Hoosiers who want to travel regularly and also to support our local businesses." He noted that the funding allows communities to expedite necessary repairs and upgrades.

ConsumerAffairs recently ranked Indiana as the best state in the nation for overall road conditions, citing low traffic fatality rates and high-quality roads.

Grant recipients in the area include Bristol with $436,197, Elkhart with $1.4 million, Elkhart County with $1.5 million, Middlebury with $607,518, and Millersburg with $172,800.

State Representative Joanna King highlighted the program's benefits: "Communities both large and small can benefit from this program to make necessary upgrades to their roadways." She expressed hope that more towns and cities would apply for future funding.

State Representative Doug Miller described the grant fund as facilitating a partnership between local governments and the state. "It's essential to maintain quality infrastructure in local communities and I'm glad to see continued success with this program," he said.

According to State Representative Tim Wesco, smaller municipalities must provide a 25 percent match in local funds while larger ones need a 50 percent match. Since its inception in 2016, Community Crossings has awarded over $2 billion for local road and bridge improvements.

"The funding from this program will be put to good use for local infrastructure upgrades," Wesco stated. He added that projects previously on hold or new improvements could now proceed thanks to additional funding.

Further details about grant recipients and the program can be found at in.gov/indot/communitycrossings.