The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will begin taking applications for its $190 million Community Crossings matching grant program on May 31. The program will provide funding to municipalities across the state for local road and bridge improvements.
“Community Crossings is a partnership between INDOT and Hoosier communities, both urban and rural, to invest in infrastructure projects that catalyze economic development, create jobs, and strengthen local transportation networks,” the agency says.
The program is funded by legislation approved earlier this year that will provide more than $1.2 billion in funding for road and bridge preservation projects.
“Since 2013, INDOT has provided more than $641 million to cities, towns, and counties to complete the critical work of modernizing local roads and bridges,” INDOT says. “Community Crossings is a continuation of INDOT’s commitment to partner with communities to create local transportation networks that positively impact the quality of life for the people that drive, bike, and walk in the ‘Crossroads of America’.”
Basics of the program include:
- 50/50 match between INDOT and local government units
- Match funds must come from Local Option Income Tax, Wheel/Surtax, Rainy Day Fund
- Must submit an INDOT-approved asset management plan
- Cities, towns and counties may submit multiple projects per call
- Federal and state rules, such as permitting, historic preservation, Americans with Disabilities Act do apply
- Scoring is based on local support, connectivity to existing plans, benefit, need and quality of projects, average annual daily traffic and average annual truck traffic and regional economic significance
- Materials for chip sealing and crack sealing are eligible for funding
- Contracts already procured for 2016 may be eligible for funding
- Each local government unit is eligible for up to $1 million per year
INDOT will take applications until July 15 and will notify grant awards winners by Aug. 2.
More information, including the application, is available on INDOT’s Local Public Agency Programs website.