INDIANAPOLIS — Lapel’s and Markleville’s efforts to maintain local roads will get a shot in the arm thanks to this year’s Community Crossings grant program.
For small towns such as Lapel and Markleville, the state road repair funding program is crucial, since most town budgets are limited.
Gov. Eric J. Holcomb and Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Joe McGuinness announced recently that 283 Indiana cities, towns and counties received a combined $100 million in state matching grant funds for local road projects through the Next Level Roads: Community Crossings Initiative.
Lapel will receive $375,000, and Markleville will receive $225,000, for road work in 2019. Last year, Lapel received $351,357, and Markleville received $266,000, to spend this year.
Lapel plans to use the funding for work it couldn’t afford to do from last year’s list of road recommendations, which were suggested by town engineers, town council President Deb Wainscott said.
The major road project expected to receive attention is County Road 950 West between county roads 300 South and 400 South.
“It’s going to take a lot of work,” Wainscott said. “There’s no good base to it, so we’re going to have to start at the base and get it better.”
That could mean chipping and sealing before adding fresh asphalt.
In Markleville, the Community Crossings funds will combine with town funds and another state grant from food and beverage tax proceeds, to pay for culvert infrastructure, town council President Daniel Roseberry said.
He said two culverts will be replaced and two others repaired.
“That’s the scope of work that we’re hoping to get accomplished with the grants,” he said.
Three of the culverts are located on North State Street, South State Street and Lick Creek Drive.
“Then we have the infamous Home Avenue culvert that has been closed for three years now,” Roseberry said.
He said the town was “very, very fortunate” in terms of timing, to be able to add two additional failing culverts to the Community Crossings grant application and to be able to use food and beverage tax funds to help pay for the town’s match.
Without state funds, he said, the town would “most definitely not” be able to complete the culvert work.
Last year, Ingalls received $578,977 and Pendleton $253,262. This year neither made the list of grant recipients.
Infrastructure plays a vital role in progress, including roadways from interstates to local streets, as well as bridges and sidewalks, the governor said in a press release.
“When it comes to building and maintaining our infrastructure, we’re in this together for the benefit of all Hoosiers,” he said in the release. “I am encouraged by the immediate impact of this program and look forward to hundreds more projects funded by Community Crossings taking shape in the coming months.”
Now in its third year, Community Crossings has awarded nearly $400 million in state matching funds to local governments for construction projects. In 2018, 444 communities applied for funds, making this year’s call for projects highly competitive.
“Community Crossings helps cities, towns and counties take care of what they have and plan for the future,” McGuinness said in the press release. “Three years into the program, the state has partnered with local governments to improve thousands of road miles and dozens of bridges. The impact has been significant and felt across all 92 counties, and I’m excited for that impact to continue with this round of projects.”
Community Crossings was created by the Indiana General Assembly in 2016. Funds for the program are awarded from the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund. To qualify for funding, local governments must provide local matching funds, 50 percent for larger communities or 25 percent for smaller communities, from a funding source approved for road and bridge construction. They must also submit an INDOT-approved asset management plan for maintaining existing roads and bridges.
State law requires annually for 50 percent of the available matching funds be awarded to communities within counties with a population of 50,000 or fewer. State lawmakers identified long-term funding for Community Crossings as part of House Enrolled Act 1002, passed by the legislature and signed into law by Holcomb in April 2017.
Beginning in 2019, INDOT will make it more convenient for local communities to pursue Community Crossings grants by offering two calls for projects per year. Moving forward, INDOT will accept project applications in January and July each year, with a community being eligible to apply for up to $1 million once per year during the call of its choice.