Kosciusko County commissioners took a step forward in extending CR 1300N near Milford, agreeing to let the highway superintendent apply for a state grant to pay for most of the project.

The move came during Tuesday morning’s commissioners meeting.

Highway Superintendent Scott Tilden told commissioners the grant would be through the Indiana Department of Transportation, which has about $125 million to distribute from a recently passed transportation infrastructure bill. The bill is funded by gasoline taxes.

The proposed project would extend CR 1300N from Old Ind. 15 west to the current Ind. 15. An overpass would be built over the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks and North Main Street. Additionally, Main Street would be rerouted around the overpass.

Tilden said if the grant would cover $7,757,695 of the cost of the project, the county would pay for the $1.88 million remainder of the project, which has a total price tag of $9,664,500.

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Upon receipt of the grant money, Tilden said engineering work, utility relocation and other preliminary work could begin, but ground wouldn’t be broken until the 2022 construction season.

Commissioners approved the grant application.

Bob Momeyer, systems administrator, approached the commissioners regarding security equipment at the justice building entrance. He told the commissioners that the system currently in place was installed 17 years ago, and many of the components are obsolete and cannot be upgraded or replaced.

Momeyer recommended accepting a preliminary quote from Security Automation Systems of Indianapolis for $634,000, the lower of the two quotes he had. He cautioned commissioners that the quote is subject to change, as the company will need to assess the specific needs of the building and its specific layout. The request was approved.

In other business, the commissioners accepted a grant from the Indiana Drug Enforcement Association for $87,800 into the sheriff’s department budget. The money is for the first year of the new Jail Chemical Addiction Program, and Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill was in town Aug. 22 to present a check to the KCSD.

Sheriff Rocky Goshert told the commissioners he estimated 80 to 85 percent of inmates could benefit from the program. Goshert said the program would begin on the women’s side of the jail, as it presented fewer logistical challenges and would help identify problems to be addressed before beginning the program for male inmates.

The next meeting of the Kosciusko County Commissioners is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 18.