STATEHOUSE (May 4, 2021) – Howard County and the city of Kokomo was recently awarded nearly $1.6 million in state matching grants for road and bridge improvements, according to State Rep. Mike Karickhoff (R-Kokomo).
Through the Community Crossings Matching Grant program, 218 Hoosier cities, towns and counties received a combined total of over $100 million. This program was established in 2016 and expanded a year later in 2017 through laws Karickhoff supported. The Indiana Department of Transportation oversees and distributes these grants twice each year.
"Local governments spend millions of dollars upgrading and making repairs to local roadways, which can take a substantial toll on their annual budgets," Karickhoff said. "This additional state funding makes it possible for our local cities and towns to put these projects into motion."
Howard County received $995,075, and Kokomo was awarded $600,000 for local road and bridge projects.
Karickhoff said communities can use these funds for road and bridge preservation, road reconstruction, intersection improvements, guardrail replacements and signage. Smaller municipalities must provide a 25 percent match in local funds, while large communities must provide a 50 percent match.
More than $931 million in total has been awarded throughout the state since 2016. State law requires that 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded annually to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer.
More information about the program and recipients can be found online at in.gov/indot/communitycrossings. The next call for projects through Community Crossings will open in July 2021.
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State Rep. Mike Karickhoff (R-Kokomo) represents House District 30,
which includes portions of Grant and Howard counties.
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