AASHTO Journal - Indiana Issues $100M in ‘Community Crossing’ Grants

Governor Mike Braun (R), Matt Ubelhor – Indiana’s Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure – and Lyndsay Quist, commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation, recently attended an event to celebrate the issuance $100 million in state matching funds to 191 cities, towns, and counties to help fund local road and bridge projects.

[Above photo by INDOT]

That funding – which comes through INDOT’s “Community Crossings” matching grant program – helps support local transportation infrastructure projects; from chip and crack sealing and road paving work to bridge rehabilitation and replacement.

The program has provided more than $2 billion for local road improvement projects since its inception in 2016, INDOT noted.

“When we invest in roads and bridges through these Community Crossings grants, we’re helping communities attract new jobs, support Main Street businesses, and enhance quality of life for Hoosier families,” explained Gov. Braun in a statement. “I’m grateful for the strong partnerships with our local leaders who are putting these dollars to work building a better Indiana.”

The Indiana General Assembly identified long-term funding for Community Crossings as part of House Enrolled Act 1002, passed in 2017.

Following changes outlined during the 2025 legislative session, the program cap is now set at $100 million per year, with the annual cap reduced to $1 million per local unit of government per state fiscal year. Also, starting in fiscal year 2027, a single call for projects will occur each July.

Across the country, state departments of transportation provide similar fiscal support to local transportation projects.

Most recently, the New Jersey Department of Transportation issued grants from three different programs to help localities fund a variety of infrastructure projects: $7.5 million in FY 2026 ‘Safe Streets to Transit’ program grants; $3.3 million in FY 2026 Bikeway Grants; and $1.7 million in FY 2026 transit village grants.

Concurrently, the New York State Department of Transportation issued $32 million to help local governments enhance roadway safety, including the installation of new guide rails, signs, and pavement markings.