Monroe County to receive $12 million for roads

FROM IDS REPORTS

Monroe County is receiving $12,183,660 for road maintenance and expansion after the Indiana General Assembly’s reassigning of 1 percent of Indiana’s sales tax revenue.

Distribution of the new funds began in August and will continue through 2014 and 2015, according to a press release from Sen. Brent Steele, R-Bedford.

The sum of the money was divided between two years. In the 2014 fiscal year, Monroe County’s funding distribution will be $6,079,037, and in the 2015 fiscal year, it will receive $6,104,623.

Bloomington’s estimated local transportation funding distribution is $5,286,472.

Bartholomew County, Brown County, Jackson County and Lawrence County also received funding for roads. Monroe received the most money out of the five counties by $3,192,621.

“During the 2013 legislative session, the General Assembly increased total transportation funding by reallocating 1 percent of Indiana’s sales tax revenue to the Motor Vehicle Highway Fund, and by replacing the Highway Fund appropriation for the

State Police and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles with state General Fund dollars,” according to the release.

According to the Monroe County Highway Maintenance Department website, Monroe County is responsible for more than 700 miles of roads, 137 bridges, more than 2,800 pipes and more than 7,000 traffic signs and signals. Bloomington alone has 237 miles of streets, according the to City of Bloomington website.

What is done with the money allocated to each county is up to the local unit of government receiving the funds.  

“Our area is home to many great employers, universities and beautiful travel destinations, all of which rely on first-class roads and bridges,” Steele said. “This new funding will help local counties make needed improvements to our transportation network so that our communities can keep growing and improving.”


— Mary Hauber