The Elkhart County Highway Department on Nov. 10 asked the Board of Commissioners to support an INDOT rural-call grant application for Bridge 252 on County Road 1 just north of County Road 130. Sky Wagner told the board the bridge’s superstructure is 51 years old, in poor condition, and recommended replacement or superstructure rehabilitation with an expected 50-year service life for the new structure.

Wagner said the preliminary project cost is $3,882,253 and that the INDOT rural-call program requires a 20% local match, calculated in the meeting as approximately $776,451, with proposed sources including EDIT, Cumulative Bridge, or motor vehicle highway funds. Wagner outlined estimated fiscal-year funding needs for preliminary engineering, right-of-way, wetland mitigation fees and construction—citing an estimated $184,508 for early-phase work and $591,942 for construction and construction engineering in FY 2032.

The board voted unanimously to approve submitting the grant application and providing the required local match as described in the staff presentation. No final funding commitment beyond the application and intended funding sources was read into the record at the meeting.