County Gets Nearly $1M For Roads

Christmas came a little early for Montgomery County drivers. The county commissioners learned Tuesday afternoon that the county was receiving nearly $1 million for road improvement projects through an Indiana Department of Transportation Community Crossings grant program.

“This is a matching grant,” Commissioner President John Frey explained. “We’ll put in $250,000 and the state puts in about a million.”

The grant is part of a total of $119.4 million that is going to 229 Indiana communities, according to INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith.

“Modernizing and improving transportation infrastructure is a key component of driving economic development in the Hoosier state,” Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a press release. “The Community Crossings program continues to help take communities to the next level by providing safe, reliable roads and bridges for residents and visitors alike.”

Montgomery County submitted its application through a highly competitive process in July and August. Applications were evaluated based on need and current conditions, as well as impacts to safety and economic development. Funding for Community Crossings comes from the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund. The Community Crossings initiative has provided more than $1 billion in state matching funds for local construction projects since 2016.

“This is a big deal for our county,” Frey added. “Our highway director has  a strategic plan for road resurfacing. By being able to leverage our money against the state we are able to absolutely maximize the improvements to our roads.”

To qualify, Montgomery County must provide local matching funds of 25 percent and have an asset management plan for maintaining existing roads and bridges. State law requires annually that 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer.

State lawmakers identified long-term funding for Community Crossings as part of House Enrolled Act 1002, passed by the legislature and signed into law by Gov. Holcomb in April 2017.