Marshall County gets second chance at INDOT road funding grant

The Marshall County Highway Department is getting an unexpected second chance at securing state funding for several major road improvements planned for this year.

Last week, Highway Superintendent Jason Peters was contacted by the LaPorte office of the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). State officials reached out to see if Marshall County was still interested in bidding on projects that were initially submitted for the Community Crossing Matching Grant—a grant the county was previously told it had not been awarded.

Sharing the good news with the Marshall County Commissioners on Monday, Peters received official approval to move forward and seek bids for the four projects he originally hoped to complete using the grant funds.

"There’s been a little confusion about this, and we are just doing this to make sure we have our bases covered," Commissioner Stan Klotz said regarding the sudden opportunity and the county's swift action to prepare the bids.

Bids for the roadwork will be officially opened during the commissioners' upcoming meeting on Monday, April 6.

Peters explained the procedural next steps to the board, noting that once the bids are opened, they will be taken under advisement for review. The county will then send the information to INDOT to definitively confirm that the state funding is available for the projects. Once that funding is guaranteed, Peters will bring the bids back to the commissioners for final approval and awarding.

The four road projects slated for bidding include:

• 14B Road: From State Road 17 west to the County Line
• 12B Road: From U.S. 30 to the Bourbon city limits
• Muckshaw Road: From State Road 10 to 18B Road
• 15th Road: From the railroad west to the County Line