Local News 

State grants bring millions to local road funding

Area legislators and INDOT are announcing millions of dollars in local road funding being awarded through the state Community Crossings Grant program.

According to the press offices for Republican legislators representing Bartholomew County, Sen. Greg Walker, Reps. Ryan Lauer, Jennifer Meltzer and Jim Lucas, the goal of the program is to advance community infrastructure projects, strengthen local transportation networks and improve Indiana’s roads and bridges.

Today the state is announcing $200 million in funding to 245 Indiana communities. Local grants include $1.5 million each to Bartholomew County and Columbus and just over $20,000 to Elizabethtown ($20,089).

Among other area grants, Decatur, Jackson and Jennings counties, along with North Vernon and Franklin are each receiving about $1.5 million. Shelby County and New Whiteland will receive $1.3 million and Greensburg $1.1 million, with Brown County receiving just under $900 thousand dollars.

Through the program, the Indiana Department of Transportation matches up to $1.5 million annually to local communities.. The percentage of the matching grant varies by the size of the community, with smaller communities putting up 25 percent of the funds, while larger communities are a 50 percent match.

Since 2016, Community Crossings has awarded more than $2 billion to improve local roads and bridges.

Columbus is planning to improve just over 5 and a half miles of city streets with the grant money. City Engineer Andrew Beckort said that the funding will allow the city to “improve the quality of
our roads while also boosting safety and accessibility for our community.”

City streets that will be improved with the grant funds:

  • Gladstone Avenue from State Road 46 to 445’ south of Marr Road

  • Hartford Avenue from Lockerbie Drive to 200’ east of Vinewood Drive

  • Vinewood Drive from Hartford Avenue to Regency Drive

  • Spring Court from Vinewood Drive to Terminus

  • Norway Court from Vinewood Drive to Terminus

  • Vinewood Court from Vinewood Drive to Terminus

  • Prairie Drive from Dawnshire Drive to Regency Drive

  • Chandler Lane East from Chandler Lane to Dawnshire Drive

  • Chandler Lane from Timbercrest Drive to Timbercrest Drive

  • Magnolia Drive from Flintwood Drive to Wedgewood Drive

  • Yellowwood Drive from Flintwood Drive to Wedgewood Drive

  • Yellowwood Court from Yellowwood Drive to Terminus

  • Cheyenne Trail from Cheyenne Court to Arapahoe Trail

  • Iroquois Trail from Parkside Drive to Sioux Trail

  • Arapahoe Trail from Parkside Drive to Iroquois Trail

  • Sioux Trail from Iroquois Trail to Parkside Drive

  • Fairfax Court from Middle Road to Terminus

  • Sharon Drive from Reston Lane to Sims Drive

  • Grange Drive from Iroquois Trail to Crump Lane

  • Crump Lane from Holly Court to Ashwood Drive

  • Holly Court North from Crump Lane to Terminus

  • Grange Court from Crump Lane to Terminus

  • Ashwood Place from Rocky Ford Road to Crump Lane

  • Ashwood Court from Crump Lane to Terminus

  • Walnut Grove Court from Crump Lane to Terminus

  • Beech Drive from Fairlawn Drive to 31st Street

  • Sumac Court from beech Drive to Terminus

  • Chapel Court from Chapel Drive to Terminus

  • Memphis Court from Victory Drive to Terminus