Truth Staff
GOSHEN -- As much as $6 million, maybe more, may trickle down into Elkhart County to help with local roads as part of the federal economic stimulus plan.
John Letherman, president of the Elkhart County Council, said Elkhart County alone may get $1.5 to $2 million to help with the county road system. The city of Elkhart is in line to get $1 million to $1.5 million, Goshen can count on as much as $1 million and the other cities and towns here will also get a cut.
It doesn't stop there. Letherman, who got his information from the Michiana Area Council of Goverment, said Elkhart County will also likely get funding that can be used to help with costly upgrades to the sewer and wastewater networks in Elkhart, Goshen and Nappanee, as required by the feds.
County Transportation Manager Jeff Taylor is coming up with project possibilities to use the county's share of the stimulus money. But one project that Letherman, at least, thinks has a good chance of securing funds is the ongoing upgrade of C.R. 17. That's the north-south roadway that has thus far been improved from the Michigan state line to C.R. 28 west of Goshen. The Bridge Street Bridge upgrade project in Elkhart is another possible candidate.
The U.S. Congress passed the $787 billion economic stimulus plan on Friday. It's meant to jumpstart the U.S. economy, in part through job creation via infrastructure projects it will help fund.