Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WABASH - Kosciusko County is one of 188 communities throughout the state receiving Community Crossings matching funds in the 2023 fall call for projects.
Friday, Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Steve Moriarty and County Commissioner Brad Jackson were presented a check for $855,949.50 from Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Commissioner Mike Smith at the Eagles Theatre in Wabash.
Moriarty said the matching grant funds will be used for the resurfacing and repaving of Old 30 from CR 450E to the Warsaw city limits, and for the replacement of Bridge 320 on EMS T26 Lane on Tippecanoe Lake. The bridge project is estimated to cost a total of $1 million from beginning to end.
A news release from INDOT states that Holcomb and INDOT gathered at the Eagles Theatre with cities, towns and counties from across northeast Indiana receiving portions of the $91.5 million awarded through the Community Crossings matching grant program, a component of Holcomb’s Next Level Roads program.
"Community Crossings continues to provide opportunities for Indiana local communities, large and small, to make connectivity and safety road improvements for Hoosier families and our visitors," Holcomb is quoted as saying in the news release. "The importance of this matching grant program is immediately obvious as we take our award-winning statewide infrastructure network to the next level."
Communities submitted applications for funding during a highly competitive call for projects in July. Funding for Community Crossings comes from the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund. The Community Crossings initiative has provided nearly $1.5 billion in state matching funds for local road improvement projects since 2016, the release states.
"It's encouraging to see continued dedication and commitment to transportation infrastructure at the local level," Smith said. "Seeing the completed projects from this program is a reward in itself and a win for the state."
State legislators identified long-term funding for Community Crossings as part of House Enrolled Act 1002, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Holcomb in April 2017.
In a separate news release from the office of Indiana Sen. Ryan Mishler, District 9, Mishler said, “The Community Crossings Matching Grant Program offers Indiana communities the chance to strengthen their roads and bridges, which can help improve the quality of life for Hoosiers. I commend our local leaders for taking advantage of this excellent opportunity."
Other local communities receiving matching funds in the 2023 fall call for projects include: Mentone, $236,143.35; North Manchester, $510,674.99; North Webster, $294,000; Silver Lake, $186,000; and South Whitley, $768,000.
Through the program, the INDOT matches up to $1 million annually when localities invest in road and bridge repairs, according to the news release from Mishler’s office. Counties with populations fewer than 50,000 and cities and towns with populations fewer than 10,000 receive a 75%/25% match, while counties with populations greater than 50,000 and cities and towns with populations greater than 10,000 receive a 50%/50% match.
The next call for projects will open in January.
Learn more about the Community Crossings matching grant program on the INDOT website at www.in.gov/indot/.
