Columbus, Indiana will spend nearly $1.8 million to widen and upgrade two roads feeding the city's growing Woodside industrial park, after the city council unanimously approved the funding package on Oct. 6. The money covers roadway and utility improvements on County Road 300W and International Drive, both located north of State Road 58, where the city is positioning infrastructure to support industrial expansion.
The council approved a resolution authorizing the spending from the Central TIF District, according to The Republic. The outlet reported the two projects carried a combined not-to-exceed amount of $1,798,040.40, while Mojo 102.9 reported the council authorized $1,798,040 in TIF funds for the work. Council approval was required because the funding request exceeded $500,000.
What's Changing on County Road 300W
The County Road 300W project will widen the roadway to meet industrial collector road standards and connect it to existing improvements, per the same Republic report. Work there includes full-depth pavement widening, curb and gutter installation, and storm sewer upgrades. Crews also plan to install roughly 750 feet of 18-inch gravity sewer and 50 feet of 12-inch water main, according to Mojo 102.9's account of the project scope.
Those upgrades will occur north of State Road 58 in the Woodside industrial park area, the station reported. The goal, per the report, is to bring the corridor up to standards that can handle heavier industrial traffic while tying into infrastructure already in place nearby.
International Drive Gets Room for Big Rigs
International Drive improvements focus on the stretch immediately north of State Road 58 and center on geometric realignment and lane widening, the station's report notes. The design increases mainline radii and lane widths so that full-size semi-trucks can make turning movements without crossing into opposing lanes, the same account states. Both road projects are meant to support industrial expansion in Woodside Northwest following recent city property annexations, Mojo 102.9 reported.
The Columbus Redevelopment Commission previously passed resolutions in 2025 to hire American Structurepoint for design and engineering work on both projects. A Woodside area study tied to the work carried a not-to-exceed figure of $409,931, while a separate County Road 300W study came in at a not-to-exceed amount of $224,425. The commission determined sufficient funding was available for both projects before sending the request to the council.
Council President Links Roads to Wider Planning Push
During the meeting, Council President Kent Anderson, a District 5 Republican, praised the city's broader update to its thoroughfare plan, saying it has helped reduce unnecessarily wide street designs that can create long-term maintenance costs. “One of the best projects engineering and planning has done in several years was the update of the thoroughfare plan,” Anderson said, according to The Republic.
Anderson pointed to Parkside Drive east of Central Avenue as an example of a street he considers poorly designed. “If a Piper has a problem with their engine, they can land on Parkside. It's totally inappropriately wide, which results in long-term maintenance costs for the taxpayer that are unnecessary,” he said. He went on to suggest that city engineers revisit plans for curb and gutter improvements along portions of International Drive, citing similar concerns about future maintenance costs.
How Columbus Uses TIF Funding
The money for both road projects comes from the Central TIF District, a tool the city says it relies on to fund growth-related infrastructure. The City of Columbus describes tax increment financing as a mechanism that diverts property taxes generated by rising assessed values on commercial and industrial properties within a designated area back into local development projects. The city says TIF is actively being used across Columbus to support community growth.
Columbus has leaned on similar TIF financing for other projects in recent years, including a $3 million TIF grant the city council approved for Crump Theatre redevelopment. Elsewhere in Indiana, a Kosciusko County committee discussed routing roughly $300,000 in TIF funds toward road improvements meant to support industrial traffic and future development, according to Citizen Portal, reflecting a broader pattern of Indiana municipalities using the financing tool to prepare roads for industrial growth.
