INDIANA — Indiana Governor Mike Braun announced nearly $110 million in state matching funds today to upgrade infrastructure across 346 Indiana cities, towns, and counties, with Lawrence County and its municipalities securing more than $1.2 million in combined road and bridge funding.
Governor Braun presented $109.9 million through the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Community Crossings Matching Grant program during the 43rd Annual Indiana MPO-IARC Conference in Kokomo.
“Good roads and bridges are essential to strong communities and a growing economy,” Gov. Mike Braun said. “This funding ensures hundreds of Indiana communities have the necessary resources to make improvements that Hoosiers will see and use every day. What makes Community Crossings work is that local governments have skin in the game. They’re investing alongside the state to get these projects done, making roads safer, supporting local businesses, and creating more opportunities for communities across Indiana to grow.”
Major Infrastructure Boost for Lawrence County, Bedford, Mitchell, and Oolitic
Local entities in Lawrence County submitted project applications during the FY 2027 call for proposals in September and were awarded a collective total of $1,213,047.34 in matching state dollars.
“Our towns and counties need well-maintained roads, and the Community Crossings Matching Grant Program helps give our communities the funding necessary to ensure our infrastructure remains strong,” Senator Eric Koch said.
The funding breakdown across Lawrence County includes:
- Mitchell: $332,308.00
- Lawrence County (Unincorporated): $325,824.80
- Bedford: $320,814.50
- Oolitic: $234,100.04
These grants will allow local highway departments and municipal street departments to complete essential paving, repair, and bridge maintenance projects without bearing the entire financial burden locally.
Additional Area Grant Awards
Several neighboring counties across South-Central Indiana also secured significant state matching funds in this round of awards:
- Monroe County: $373,322.18
- Jackson County: $339,861.60
- Bartholomew County: $325,526.50
- Greene County: $322,450.00
- Dubois County: $319,064.75
- Washington County: $314,484.80
- Daviess County: $297,368.80
- Orange County: $273,924.00
- Bloomington: $193,430.55
- Martin County: $163,320.80
- Brown County: $135,495.64
- Scott County: $536,000.00
State Program Impact and Legislative Framework
“More than $2 billion in matching funds have been awarded for local road improvements since 2016,” said INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist. “Community Crossings is a testament to the strong partnerships between INDOT and local communities that help provide safe, efficient transportation infrastructure for our cities, towns, and counties.”
The Indiana General Assembly established long-term funding for the Community Crossings initiative under House Enrolled Act 1002 in 2017. Current program rules cap individual government units at $1 million per fiscal year, with an overall statutory cap set at $100 million annually. Strong cost favorability allowed INDOT to exceed the statutory threshold again for FY 2027.
