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Marion County commissioners direct staff to pursue cost-share application, prioritize Nighthawk and nearby roads
Summary
Commissioners agreed to pursue state cost-share funding and to seek engineered plans for Nighthawk Road and related projects, with staff to prepare a combined application before the program deadline and return the application for final approval.
Marion County commissioners instructed staff on March 3 to move forward with plans and an application for state cost-share funding for road projects, prioritizing a Nighthawk Road reconstruction and related overlays.
Commissioners said they want engineering plans prepared and presented to EBH (the county’s engineering consultant) so an application can be submitted before a mid‑month deadline. Staff said the cost‑share program caps awards at $1,000,000 per project; commissioners discussed combining multiple projects into a single application so the state award could fund a larger scope while the county provides the local match.
Why it matters: the commission’s direction sets the county on a path to pursue state funding that, if awarded, would finance major resurfacing and base improvements for rural roads. Commissioners discussed three candidate projects: Nighthawk Road (a full‑depth rebuild over a little more than three‑quarters of a mile), East Tampa Road (an economic‑development grant target), and the 1‑Fortieth/Limestone corridor between Pawnee and Sunflower (a recommended asphalt overlay tied to a new local asphalt plant).
Officials said the East Tampa Road project is roughly five miles and has an estimated total cost in the millions (staff described it as “about 2.7 [million]” during discussion). The commissioner presenting roads noted the cost‑share program’s $1,000,000 maximum and recommended applying for the Nighthawk segment to maximize the state award; commissioners also discussed combining two projects so the award could be leveraged against a larger county match.
Staff said engineering would be required for bid documents and that the county could save on scope if the new local asphalt plant supplies material for overlays. Commissioners directed staff to prepare engineering plans and a draft application and to return the completed application to the commission for formal approval before submission.
Next steps: staff will refine costs, assemble letters of support and engineered plans, and present the draft application for commission sign‑off prior to submission. Commissioners discussed a typical state response timeline of at least 90 days for economic‑development grants and noted any funded work would likely be scheduled in the 2026 construction season.
