Expect more travel delays throughout south central Indiana this year.
A total of 16 Community Crossings matching grants have been issued in Bartholomew and surrounding counties this spring. That’s twice the number awarded in the same region last fall by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Since the availability of contractors is limited, the Bartholomew County commissioners changed their usual routine of waiting a few weeks after approving an overlay bid to signing a contract. Instead, they approved a $2,698,800 contract with Milestone Contractors LP and immediately signed it.
“We wanted to do this since so many people were going to get Community Crossings grants,” county highway engineer Danny Hollander said. “The sooner we get in line, the sooner we get our money.”
In exchanges for submitting bids below normal prices, contractors are allowed to complete public sector projects whenever they have free time between private sector jobs . The county only asks that all work be done before the end of the construction season.
The amount of the match by local units of government depends on how many people are represented.
For example, a town like Hope with a population of fewer than 10,000 only has to match 25% of a grant. However, cities and towns with more than 10,000 residents must contribute 50% of the total cost. For counties, its whether they have more or less than 50,000 residents that determines if 25% or 50% of a grant must be matched.
After INDOT announced in January they had raised the maximum annual grant amount from $1 million to $1.5 million, the department awarded grants to 252 communities or counties for Phase 1 of Community Crossings. Since prices came in lower than expected, the county is hopeful they will be able to obtain additional grant money during Phase 2 this fall.
In their overlay program, the city of Columbus will pave 17 sections of streets that total 4.1 miles. The most travelled sections are Gladstone Avenue, from 10th Street to 17th Street and Middle Road, from Brentwood Drive to Rocky Ford Road.
Bartholomew County government is repaving 30 separate sections, totalling 26 miles of rural roads. That includes multiple sections of streets and roads in four subdivisions: Hamor Heights, Zephyr Village, Harrison Lake and Grandview Lake. The largest projects are County Road 400W near the Jackson County line, Hartsville Road and Grandview Drive.
The program has received some criticism for allegedly favoring larger communities over small towns. A spokeswoman for Accelerate Indiana Municipalities, a nonprofit that advocates for towns and cities, brought up an example of a community of 500 residents forced to save money for seven years to come up with a 25% project match.
Some towns have used federal pandemic-era dollars to make their matches, but Bartholomew County Auditor Pia O’Connor says that money must be obligated by the end of this year and spent by the end of 2026.
Funding for Community Crossings comes from the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund. The initiative has provided nearly $1.7 billion in state matching funds for local road improvement projects since 2016.
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South central Indiana recipients: 2024 Community Crossing matching grants (Phase 1)
Bartholomew County: $1.5 million
Brown County: $1.5 million
Columbus: $1.5 million
Crothersville: $222,080
Decatur County: $1.5 million
Franklin: $1,185,196
Greensburg: $1,467,768
Jackson County: $1,458,024
Jennings County: $1,392,844
North Vernon: $970,406
Princes Lakes: $263,796
Seymour: $1.5 million
Shelby County: $999,233
Shelbyville: $444,069
Westport: $592,961
Whiteland: $787,940
South central Indiana recipients: 2024 Community Crossing matching grants (Phase 1)
Bartholomew County: $1.5 million
Brown County: $1.5 million
Columbus: $1.5 million
Crothersville: $222,080
Decatur County: $1.5 million
Franklin: $1,185,196
Greensburg: $1,467,768
Jackson County: $1,458,024
Jennings County: $1,392,844
North Vernon: $970,406
Princes Lakes: $263,796
Seymour: $1.5 million
Shelby County: $999,233
Shelbyville: $444,069
Westport: $592,961
Whiteland: $787,940
