Last week, Columbus residents received great news!  After a lengthy grant application and review process, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced that the City of Columbus has been awarded a Local Roads Improvement Program (LRIP) grant in the amount of $450,000.

This grant program, established in 1991, assists local governments in improving seriously deteriorated streets and roads.  Over the past several years, the Mayor and City Council have made infrastructure improvement a primary focus as they develop policy, plan for the future, and allocate resources. 

Mayor Michael Thom noted the importance of the LRIP grant, saying, “Columbus is incredibly lucky to receive this grant.  It comes at a critical time when we are actively investing in repairing and replacing aging infrastructure, which will benefit our community for decades.” 

The grant application was submitted as a collaborative effort between City staff and the City’s Engineering firm, Reukert & Mielke.  This funding will be used for the Hibbard Street reconstruction project, which is scheduled to start in the coming months, and be completed this year.