Jackson County to use federal implementation grant to upgrade nine road segments; county to provide $4.0 million match

Jackson County staff told the commission on Oct. 22 that the county has executed a U.S. Department of Transportation implementation grant to fund safety improvements on nine county roadway segments.

County staff described the federal award as the major funding source for a project that targets sections of County Roads 11, 6, 37, 38, 88, 89, 92, 43 and 17. The scope described at the meeting includes clearing and grubbing within the right-of-way to enhance clear zones, extending culverts and drainage, two-foot shoulder widening in many locations, full roadway overlays, sloped pavement edges to aid recovery, retroreflective striping, pavement markers and rumble strips on centerlines and edges where applicable.

Staff said the grant required a local match. The meeting record states the county’s matching share as $3,999,321. Commissioners and staff praised the county engineer and consultant team for preparing the application and safety action plan that led to the implementation grant. The county engineer emphasized that the project aims to “save lives” and said the selection of roadway sections was based on a high-injury-network analysis incorporating crash rates, traffic volumes, access density, roadway width and public engagement.

The commission did not vote on approving the grant at the Oct. 22 meeting; staff presented the executed agreement and asked for questions. County engineers said work will be phased and that not every section of each listed road will be resurfaced — only priority sections identified in the plan.

County staff thanked members of the leadership committee, public-works staff, the sheriff’s office and other stakeholders for participating in the safety planning, and reiterated that federal funding substantially leverages local dollars for the program.