The Town of
Chesterton has been awarded $156,562 in a state 50/50 matching grant for
roadwork, under a provision of Senate Enrolled Act 67 which made $160
million available to cities, town, and counties succeeding in filing a Road
Asset Management Plan.
Matching grants
awarded to Porter County units totaled nearly $3.8 million, Soliday reported
in a statement released this morning.
The awards:
* Porter County: $1
million.
* Valparaiso: $1
million.
* Portage:
$900,954.
* Porter: $401,065.
* Chesterton:
$156,562.
* Hebron: $150,600.
* Burns Harbor:
$96,856.
* Dune Acres:
$50,013.
* Beverly Shores:
$35,141.
“Developing
responsible infrastructure funding solutions was a top priority this past
session,” said Soliday, chair of the House Committee on Roads and
Transportation. “This grant program provides the much-needed funds to
support our local roads and bridges while allowing counties and cities to
allocate the money where they see fit.”
Chesterton Street
Commissioner John Schnadenberg previously indicated that he would like to
apply the Community Crossings grant--if it were awarded--the much needed
paving of 1100N between Fifth Street and Pearson Road.
Under the Community
Crossings legislation, communities were given the opportunity to double
their 2016 share of local option income tax (LOIT) revenues, if they
prepared in a timely fashion a Road Asset Management Plan which graded the
condtion of each road in town. Chesterton’s share of LOIT revenues this year
was $156,562, and that sum became the local match.
Projects eligible
for funding through the Community Crossings program include road
resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation, road reconstruction, and Americans with
Disabilities Act compliance in connection with road projects. Material costs
for chip sealing and crack filling operations were also eligible for funds.