Chase County announced Dec. 31 that it was awarded a federal Safe Streets for All grant to create a countywide safety plan and pursue demonstration projects at high‑crash locations, county staff told commissioners.

"Chase County has been awarded the Safe Streets for All Grant," Speaker 7 said, describing a three‑year effort to form a community task force, hire an engineering firm to perform an audit and run temporary demonstration projects such as temporary barriers and lights.

The grant will support work at sites county officials flagged as priorities, including where U.S. 177 meets U.S. 50 in Strong City and a curve near the Lake Road by the school. Speaker 7 said the total package is "about $531,000 over the next 3 years," with approximately $426,000 from federal sources and roughly $100,000 in state matching funds; the county itself will need to provide about $5,000 in match over three years.

County staff said the award follows recent coordination with the Kansas infrastructure hub and that the county will enter a GRAMA agreement with the federal program to set goals and scope before soliciting a contractor for the work. Staff also described plans to survey residents, businesses on Middle Creek Road and emergency services in order to strengthen benefit‑cost reasoning for larger bridge grants in future applications.

Officials said this federal grant will not necessarily fund bridge replacements but is intended to enable safety audits and demonstration improvements that help the county compete for permanent construction money later.

The next steps are finalizing the federal agreement, setting up a local task force and beginning procurement for the engineering audit, county staff said.