STATEHOUSE (Dec. 7, 2022) – Over $1.4 million is headed to Ripley County communities to accelerate road and bridge improvements, according to State Reps. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) and Lindsay Patterson (R-Brookville).
Frye said the local funding from the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program is for road and bridge preservation, road reconstruction, intersection improvements, guardrail replacements and signage, and can cover material costs for chip sealing and crack filling operations. In total, 229 towns, cities and counties will receive over $119 million in state matching grants.
"For many years, we have thoughtfully managed the state's finances, and that's created opportunities like the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program," Frye said. "With these funds, we are taking care of our immediate infrastructure needs and planning for growth without creating additional debt or passing the buck to future generations."
Ripley County grant recipients include Batesville ($355,851), Osgood ($1 million) and Versailles ($88,004).
Patterson said smaller municipalities provide a 25 percent match in local funds, while large communities provide a 50 percent match. State law requires 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded annually to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. To date, Hoosier communities are on the receiving end of more than $1 billion in Community Crossings Matching Grants, established in 2016 and expanded through laws supported by Frye.
"Whether you're driving the kids to school, commuting to work or running a business, it's easy to understand the value of having good roads," Patterson said. "These matching grants help communities of all sizes tackle important improvement projects and maintain their roads now and into the future.
According to the Indiana Department of Transportation, which oversees and awards the grants, the next call for projects is expected in January. Awards are released two times a year. More information can be found at in.gov/indot/communitycrossings or by emailing LPAQuestions@indot.in.gov.
