STATEHOUSE (April 20, 2020) – State Reps. Ron Bacon (R-Chandler) and Stephen Bartels (R-Eckerty) said Spencer County was recently awarded $1 million in state matching grants to bolster road and bridge improvements.
Over 200 Indiana cities, towns and counties received a combined total of $126.5 million through the Community Crossings Matching Grant program. The grants are made available through the Indiana Department of Transportation as a result of a law passed in 2017.
"When Indiana made this commitment to improve our infrastructure, a number of possibilities opened up for communities, especially in more rural areas of the state," Bacon said. "With this funding, local road repairs can be completed, which make our roads safer and more efficient."
Bacon said grant funding can be used toward road and bridge preservation, road reconstruction, intersection improvements, guardrail replacements and signage. Smaller municipalities must provide a match of 25% in local funds, while large communities must provide a 50% match.
In total, more than $738 million has been distributed for local road projects through the Community Crossings program. According to Bartels, 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.
"Especially in our rural areas, roads are critical for Hoosiers to access goods, services, emergency services and their jobs," Bartels said. "Our communities need these funds to help accomplish projects that would be out of reach if the state had not started this great program."
An estimated $100 million will be available for communities opting to apply for these grants during the July 2020 call for projects. More information about the program and recipients can be found at www.in.gov/indot.
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State Rep. Ron Bacon (R-Chandler) represents House District 75,
which includes portions of Warrick, Pike and Spencer counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
State Rep. Stephen Bartels (R-Eckerty) represents House District 74,
which includes portions of Spencer, Dubois, Perry, Crawford and Orange counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
