Rural communities across northeast Indiana just scored a massive win. The U.S. Department of Transportation, through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program and other federal streams, is sending more than $23 million to fix roads, bridges, and sidewalks in Allen, Adams, Huntington, Jay, Noble counties plus the cities of Huntington and Woodburn.
This is the single largest influx of federal transportation dollars the region has seen in years.
Exact Breakdown of the $23 Million
The Indiana Department of Transportation released the official numbers Wednesday morning. Here is how the money shakes out locally:
- Noble County: $7,266,400
- City of Huntington: $5,276,202.83
- Allen County: $4,687,760
- Huntington County: $1,993,136
- Jay County: $1,888,000
- Woodburn: $1,253,115
- Adams County: $636,323.45
Total for northeast Indiana: $23,000,937.28
Statewide, Indiana is receiving nearly $180 million in this round, with rural areas taking the lion’s share.
Why This Money Matters Right Now
Drive any county road in Noble or Huntington counties and you’ll see the problem: crumbling edges, potholes deep enough to swallow a tire, bridges posted with weight limits that hurt farmers and school buses.
Noble County alone has 47 bridges rated structurally deficient. Allen County still has roads that flood every hard rain because culverts are too small or too old.
This federal cash is not “nice to have.” It is “must have” money that keeps kids safe on the bus, gets grain to market, and keeps ambulances from bouncing over washboards when seconds count.
What Local Leaders Are Saying
Huntington Mayor Steve Updike called it “life-changing money for our streets and sidewalks.”
Noble County Commissioner Gary Leatherman told 21Alive the county can finally tackle the CR 300 E bridge over the Elkhart River that has been weight-restricted for six years.
Allen County Highway Director Bill Hartman said the $4.68 million lets them resurface and widen parts of the rapidly growing corridor along I-69 near GM and the Amazon facilities.
Bigger Picture: Rural Indiana Finally Gets Its Turn
For decades, most federal transportation dollars flowed to big cities and interstates. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law changed the rules. Now rural projects that improve safety and economic connectivity are prioritized.
This $23 million is proof the new formula is working. Small towns and counties that have been patching and praying for years suddenly have real money to do the job right.
The work will create hundreds of local construction jobs in 2026 and 2027, keep tax dollars low because federal funds cover 80-100% of these projects, and make northeast Indiana more attractive to new factories and families.
Bottom line: safer roads, stronger bridges, smoother commutes, and a brighter future for rural northeast Indiana, all thanks to $23 million that is finally headed our way.
Tell us in the comments: which local road or bridge do you hope gets fixed first with this money?
