Kokomo, Howard County receive $1.5M for road projects
Apr. 18—A slew of major roads in Kokomo will be resurfaced thanks to a state matching grant program.
The city of Kokomo was awarded $1.5 million through the state of Indiana's Community Crossings Matching Grant Program and intends to reconstruct a stretch of Hoffer Street and resurface a number of other major roads with the money.
Launched in 2016, Community Crossings provides funding to cities, towns and counties across Indiana "to make improvements to local roads and bridges." Larger cities, towns and counties, like Kokomo, must match the grant amount they're awarded.
Jon Pyke, director of engineering for the city, said the city is using the majority of grant and local match funds to reconstruct East Hoffer Street between South Locke Street and Indiana 931.
The project includes resurfacing the road, installing new sidewalks and curbs and narrowing the road west of South Plate Street down from four lanes to three lanes — one lane both ways and a two-way middle left-turn lane.
The narrowing will "fix the alignment issues" created near the Kokomo-Howard Humane Society where Hoffer goes from two lanes down to one lane, Pyke said.
The remaining portion of the grant, about $500,000, and at least $500,000 in city matching funds will be used to resurface a number of major roads across the city.
Some of those include South Lafountain Street from Wendy's to Alto Road; South Dixon Road from Markland Avenue to Sycamore Street and Apperson Way from the bridge over Wildcat Creek to Jefferson Street.
The projects are expected to go through the bidding process and be awarded in the next several weeks. Work is expected to begin later this year.
Howard County
Howard County was also awarded $1.49 million in Community Crossings grant money.
Amber Tolle, county highway superintendent, said the Highway Department will resurface numerous stretches of county roads. They include:
* 400 North, from 450 East to 700 East
* 600 East, from 300 North to 400 North
* 600 East, from 500 North to 600 North
* 500 North, from 600 East to 700 East
* 50 South, from 500 East to 700 East
* 800 East, from 200 South to 300 South
* 800 East, from 100 South to 50 South
* 100 South, from 850 East to Indiana 213
* 850 East, from 100 South to 50 South
* 200 South, from 800 East to Indiana 21
* 300 West, from 450 North to 600 North
* 200 West, from 200 North to 325 North
* 750 West, from 300 North to 400 North
* 900 West, from 400 North to 600 North
* 450 North, from 250 West to 500 West
* 100 West, from Indiana 26 to 500 South
* 500 South, from 100 West to 200 West
In addition, Tolle said her department will also reconstruct and resurface 1250 West on the county's far west side.
Tolle said the county road is losing its embankment to erosion on the northbound lane.
"We basically don't have any edge support so it's kind of eroding out, so we're gonna have to do a more intensive rehab to that road to build up those sides to make sure that they don't fall off again," she said.
Tyler Juranovich can be reached at 765-454-8577, by email at tyler.juranovich@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @tylerjuranovich.
