Reps. Lehman, Sweet: Wells County communities receive state funding to roll ahead on road projects

Posted by: Matthew Gocken  | Wednesday, April 10, 2024

STATEHOUSE (April 10, 2024) – Two local communities can roll forward with road and bridge projects thanks to a boost in state funding supported by State Reps. Matt Lehman (R-Berne) and State Rep. Lorissa Sweet (R-Wabash).

A total of 252 communities across the state will receive over $207 million through Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant Program. Markle will receive $1.5 million and Zanesville will receive $210,000 in grant awards. Funds can be used for road and bridge preservation, road reconstruction, intersection improvements and other items.

"It's critical that we have safe and reliable roads, which have a direct impact on our quality of life and economy," Lehman said. "It's great to see rural communities like ours receive significant support from the state, which enables us to maintain and improve our infrastructure."

To qualify for the competitive grant, smaller municipalities provide a 25 percent match in local funds, while larger 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. Since 2016, Community Crossings has awarded more than $1.6 billion to improve local roads and bridges.

"Updating our roadways and bridges is essential to improving our quality of life and supporting local businesses," Sweet said. "It's great to see the state step up and work with local communities to make these upgrades happen, especially in our rural areas."

Visit in.gov/indot/communitycrossings and click on "Community Crossings Matching Grant" to learn more about the program. 

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 State Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne) represents House District 79,
which includes all of Adams County, and portions of Jay and Wells counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.

State Rep. Lorissa Sweet (R-Wabash) represents House District 50,
which includes all of Huntington County, and portions of Miami, Wabash and Wells counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.