The City of Valparaiso was awarded $1 million in Community Crossing grant funds, announced Governor Eric Holcomb in a live call where he recognized Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy along with representatives from Noblesville and Harrison County. “In Valparaiso, we’ve made infrastructure, such as streets, a priority. We’re grateful that these funds will help us build on our aggressive roadway plans, building on 2020 which was a record year for repaving,” said Murphy.
The $1 million Community Crossing grant – the maximum award – will fund improvements including
- Morgan Boulevard, from Lincolnway to Calumet Avenue (0.5 miles)
- Calumet Avenue, from Morgan Boulevard to Bullseye Lake Road (1.8 miles)
- Roosevelt Road, from LaPorte Avenue to Calumet Avenue (1.8 miles)
This collective project extends more than 4.1 centerline miles and will provide resurfacing on roadways Valparaiso motorists use daily, including the five-way roundabout where Calumet Avenue meets Roosevelt and Vale Park roads. Additionally, the project will replace concrete curb and sidewalk in many locations, install ADA (American with Disabilities Act) curb ramps, adjust manholes and inlets to grade and install permanent pavement markings. Work will begin late this summer and is planned to be completed by end of 2021.
In addition to this aggressive Community Crossing project, the City of Valparaiso will also be releasing a list of further roadway projects for the year. Work is already underway for a $838,000 project to reconstruct a section of Eisenhower Avenue, upgrade underground utilities and add curbs and sidewalks where none existed. This project was funded with support of an additional Community Crossing grant, awarded in 2020.
Projects for 2021 will include structural resurfacing, a method of street preservation where the asphalt pavement is milled deeper into the structural layers of the street and replaced with new structural and surface asphalt. Structural resurfacing extends the life of roadways, strengthening the streets from below and preventing the need for costly full depth restoration. “We’re using all the tools we have to improve drivability and safety citywide,” said Murphy.
The Community Crossing grant program is a component of Governor Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Roads program. In total $100.2 million in state matching funds for local road projects were awarded in this latest round of Community Crossing grants. Valparaiso’s complete 2021 projects list is being finalized currently and will include be both roadways and sidewalks. The list will be released in the coming weeks. For updates, visit Valpo.us.