Indiana gets federal money to make roads and bridges resilient to extreme heat, flooding

The federal government plans to give Indiana up to $177 million over the next five years to make its transportation infrastructure resilient to things like flooding and extreme heat.

It’s part of a more than $7 billion effort nationwide to improve roads, bridges, ports, routes for bicyclists and pedestrians, and other transit.

More than 5,000 miles of highway and more than 1,000 bridges in Indiana are in “poor” condition according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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The agency said the funding from the federal infrastructure law can be used to either adapt existing or build new transportation infrastructure — including building out networks in underserved and underrepresented communities.

It can also be used for green infrastructure — like rain gardens — to reduce flooding and protect aquatic life in waterways nearby.

Contact reporter Rebecca at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.