Blackford County Awarded $686,974 for Bridge Replacement on CR 500 East

Blackford County will receive $686,973.84 from the Indiana Department of Transportation's Community Crossings Matching Grant program to replace the County Road 500 East bridge over Slocum Creek, just north of County Road 300 North.

Governor Braun announced the funding as part of a statewide $165 million package for fiscal year 2026, supporting road and bridge projects across 147 Indiana communities. As a county with fewer than 55,000 residents, Blackford County's required local match is 20% — approximately $137,395. The state covers the remaining 80%.

This is a separate project from the Bridge 23 replacement on 100 East and 200 South, which is already in its design phase.

The grant gives the county a funded path to replace the Slocum Creek bridge. Residents should expect construction planning to begin as the project enters the pipeline.