Local communities receiving millions from state road grans

Local legislators are touting state grants that will help repair roads and bridges.

According to State Sen. Greg Walker and Reps. Ryan Lauer, Jennifer Meltzer and Jim Lucas, Bartholomew County will be receiving $1 million and Columbus $927,807. Franklin is also receiving $1 million.

The funds are coming from the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program which is providing $133.4 million to 224 Indiana towns, cities and counties during this grant cycle.

The Indiana Department of Transportation matches up to $1 million annually for local road and bridge repairs. The county match is based on population with smaller communities coming up with a 25 percent match, while larger communities must match 50 percent.

The program has given out more than $1.27 billion dollars since it was started in 2016. Each year, there are two rounds of funding with the next round of applications due in July.