Elkhart County commissioners approve bridge funding, highway grant match, contracts and appointments

The Elkhart County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 6 unanimously approved a series of appropriations and routine actions that county officials said will fund multiple bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects, support a community paving program and update county equipment.

The measures approved at the meeting included new appropriations for five bridge projects, formal steps to apply for and commit matching funds for the county’s annual Community Crossings paving grant, three independent contractor agreements and several routine administrative items, including the appointment of a library board member and authorization for out‑of‑state travel for a county prosecutor.

County officials said the bridge appropriations will fund preliminary engineering, right‑of‑way work, construction inspection and related costs for projects the county described as structurally deficient and under posted weight limits. “Bridge 232 is on County Road 11 over Yellow Creek, just north of County Road 36,” a county presenter said, describing the scope as preliminary engineering, design, right‑of‑way acquisition and construction inspection. Commissioners approved the requested amounts for Bridge 232, Bridge 143, Bridge 347, Bridge 136 and Bridge 402; each vote carried unanimously.

Highway Department staff also presented the county’s annual Community Crossings application. “This is the grant that we apply for every year for community crossings. It’s a $50/50 match on funds, for…