Frye: Local Communities Can Partner with State to Improve Roads

During the last round of grant funding, local counties received more than $5.1 million in matching grants.

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INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana ranks as the top state in the nation for its infrastructure, according to CNBC. This enviable position comes as we work to continuously invest in safe and functioning roads and bridges, and do it all without going into debt. Indiana is not going to pump the breaks anytime soon and local communities can reap the benefits. Cities, towns and counties can once again partner with the state to make much-needed improvements to their infrastructure.

Through Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant program, funds are awarded twice a year to communities 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.

A key factor of our state's long-term roads investment plan and the grants, which I supported establishing in 2016, is how it's designed to ensure all communities – small and large – benefit. 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.

During the last round of grant funding, Decatur, Dearborn, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland counties received more than $5.1 million in state matching grants for local road and bridge improvements. In total, more than 220 towns, cities and counties received over $107 million in state funding through the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program.

Already, Hoosier communities received more than $1 billion in Community Crossings Matching Grants. This is a wise investment as our roads require continuous upkeep, and a strong infrastructure is critical to our growth and quality of life.  To learn more about Community Crossings Matching Grants and to apply for the next round of funding ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline, visit in.gov/indot/.