Johnson County communities were awarded $4.2 million from Indiana’s Community Crossings Matching Grant Program.
Local officials in Johnson County, Bargersville, Edinburgh, Franklin and Greenwood all will receive funding for road work to be completed next year. The county, Bargersville, Edinburgh and Greenwood each will receive $1 million, while Franklin will receive $258,120.
Local communities are among the 188 cities, towns, and counties across Indiana that will receive a chunk of the $91.5 million in funding in the fall allocation of the matching grant program, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
State funds will be paired with local match dollars to complete road projects. Municipalities with under 50,000 residents provide a 25% match in local funds, while larger communities must provide a 50% match.
Since the initiative began in in 2016, Community Crossings has provided nearly $1.5 billion in state matching funds for local road improvement projects, INDOT officials said. The program provides up to $1 million to each community per year. Funding for the grant program comes from the state’s local road and bridge matching grant fund.
“Whether we’re making a trip to the grocery store or going to work, we depend on roads to travel safely,” State Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, said in a joint statement from Johnson County legislators. “Investing in regular maintenance and updates to our local infrastructure will have long-term benefits for everyone in our community and throughout the state.”
Bargersville
In Bargersville, the $1 million will be paired with town funds for the total replacement of North Street and West Street from Old Plank Road to Harriman Avenue. The work includes tearing out the existing streets, laying new pavement, curbs and sidewalks, and utility work. Water mains, storm sewers, and sanitary sewers on those streets will be repaired or replaced, said Dan Cartwright, town manager.
Edinburgh
With $1 million, Edinburgh plans to mill and overlay 16 streets around town and fully reconstruct one street and the cul-de-sac of another, said Kevin McGinnis, town manager.
Plum Street from Main Street to Walnut Street will be fully reconstructed.
Streets to be milled and overlaid: Bachelor Street from Franklin Street to Brown Street, Brown Street from Toner Street to Shelby Street, Bryan Street from Main Street to Roosevelt Avenue, East Park Drive from Thompson Street to North Park Drive, Grant Street from Woodrow Street to Toner Street, Hart Street from Pleasant Street to Main Street, King Street from Grant Street to Franklin Street, Maier Street from Waltz Street to Morris Street, Main Cross Street from Lind Drive to cul-de-sac, Morris Street from Eisenhower Drive to Main Street, North Park Drive from Campbell Street to dead end, Roosevelt Avenue from County Line Road to Critney Street, Waltz Street from Eisenhower Drive to Main Street, West Park Drive from Campbell Street to Ward Street and Woodrow Street from Kyle Street to Grant Street.
For the Brown Street from Toner Street to Shelby Street project, the cul-de-sac on the north end of this area will also be reconstructed.
Franklin
Franklin received $258,120 this time. The city had received $1 million from the grant cycle earlier this year but the previous projects came in under budget, so city officials submitted another project this grant cycle so they could spend the remaining funds, explained Mark Richards, city engineer.
The money, along with a local match, will fund work on two streets: Earlywood Drive and Umbarger Lane. Milling and overlay work is planned on Earlywood Drive between U.S. 31 and Graham Road, as well as full-depth patching, mill and overlay, and pavement markings on Umbarger Lane from King Street to city limits. This work for Earlywood Drive is on top of patching the city completed on Earlywood Drive this year as part of the 2023 paving program, Richards said.
The earlier allotment of Community Crossings awarded to the city in April was used to mill, overlay, and install new curbs on sections of 22 streets around the city.
Greenwood
The city of Greenwood will use the $1 million to complete paving projects on 20 streets. An additional $1 million will be contributed by the city for a total estimated cost of $2 million to accomplish local projects including asphalt base repairs, milling and overlays on 4.7 miles of roadways, according to a news release from the city.
The following areas will see road work: Georgetown Road from Smith Valley Road to Main Street, Leah Way from Georgetown Road to Savannah Drive, Pilgrim Road from Yorktown Road to Savannah Drive, Savannah Drive from Georgetown Road to Leah Way, Boonesboro Court from Boonesboro Road to dead end, Boonesboro Road from Yorktown Road to Boonesboro Court, Pilgrim Court from Plymouth Rock Way to dead end, Plymouth Rock Court from Plymouth Rock Way to dead end, Plymouth Rock Way from Georgetown Road to Boonesboro Court, Yorktown Road from Smith Valley Road to Plymouth Rock Way, Melody Avenue from Main Street to Meridian Oaks Drive, Meridian Oaks Drive from Melody Avenue to State Road 135, Barngate Circle North from Greenbriar Drive to dead end, New Amsterdam Drive from Meadowview Lane to North Greenbriar Drive, North Greenbriar Drive from New Amsterdam Drive to Stillwater Lane, Monticello Court East from Monticello Drive to dead end, Monticello Court West from Monticello Drive to dead end, Monticello Drive from Main Street to Standish Drive, Easton Point Drive from Meadowview Lane to Easton Point Way, Oldefield Commons Drive from Smith Valley Road to Kay Drive, Sarah Court from Oldefield Commons Drive to dead end, and New Amsterdam Drive from Monticello Drive to County Road 75 West.
Johnson County
Two highly trafficked county roads in White River Township will see work with the $1 million allotted to Johnson County. Milling and asphalt overlay work is planned for Morgantown Road from Stones Crossing Road to Fairview Road, and Peterman Road from Fairview Road to County Line Road.
The work goes deeper — literally — than the typical mill and overlay project though, said Luke Mastin, county highway director. The work will take out and replace 4.5 inches of pavement instead of the usual 1.5 inches to build a stronger road, he said.
“The two roads chosen for this project have displayed a need for more in-depth structural repairs due to increased traffic volumes, primarily rutting and deep potholes that require frequent patching,” Mastin said.
