WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Council approved a grant request from County Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden on Thursday, Sept. 13 that, if received from the Indiana Department of Transportation, could ease traffic issues at a railroad crossing in Milford.

“It’s called the Local Trax Rail Overpass Program, that was enacted by House Bill 1002,” said Tilden. “This would be to extend CR 1300N from Old SR 15 to SR 15 and includes a new grade separation, new bridge over the Norfolk and Southern Railroad.”

A grade separation allows traffic to flow either over or under an existing railroad crossing, known also as overpasses or underpasses.

“The project will also incorporate a re-alignment of a portion of Main Street at the CR 1300N intersection,” said Tilden. “This will be a project that will be constructed in 2022 and if it’s awarded some of the phases will start next year.”

Kosciusko County Administrator Marsha McSherry said that officials involved in championing the project hope that the third time is the charm.

“This project has been submitted to INDOT twice and we’ve been turned down,” McSherry said. If approved, the county’s portion of an estimated total price tag of $9.6 million would be about $1.9 million. “We expect the funding to be paid for out of the EDIT [Economic Development Income Tax] fund,” McSherry said.

Council member Kimberly Cates, actively involved in other county organizations, told the board and the audience that multiple groups have been coordinating to try to push the project to fruition.

“KEDCO [Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation] has been working on this project and there are a lot of groups who have been working on this project in conjunction with the county,” Cates said. “For manufacturing in the northern part of the county, it’s a real integral part of the road systems up there.”

Tilden estimated that, if approved, the grant would provide $7,757,695 toward the project.

In the other business, the council:

• Adopted the 2019 Solid Waste Budget.
• Approved additional appropriation requests from Tilden for bridge projects, $180,000; local road and street, $100,000; highway, $13,416.
• Approved a grant request from Tilden for a Community Crossing 50/50 matching grant.
• Approved additional appropriation request from Rick Shepherd, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department for a DUI Grant, $5,000.
• Approved additional appropriation requests from Kosciusko County Sheriff Rocky Goshert totaling $105,270.81.
• Approved additional appropriation request from Mike Mulligan, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department for JCAP program, $87,800.
• Approved additional appropriation request from County Prosecutor Dan Hampton, $12,746.12 and transfers totaling $1,515.
• Approved additional appropriation requests from County Auditor Michelle Puckett totaling $61,860.
• Approved additional appropriation request from Bob Weaver, county health department, $11,454.
• Approved additional appropriation request from Judge David Cates for Superior and Circuit courts, $150,000.
• Adopted an amendment to the 2018 salary ordinance as requested by Anna Bailey for a home detention officer.
• Heard an update on the progress of a regional sewer district for Tippecanoe and Chapman lakes by Chad Miner.