Sumner County is set to receive $570,000 in federal funding for rural road safety improvements as part of a more than $8.77 million statewide investment announced by Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday.
The funding comes through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s High Risk Rural Roads Program, which awarded money to 13 projects across the state aimed at improving safety on local rural roadways. Nearly $1.4 million in local matching funds also will support the selected projects. Continue below ad.
In Sumner County, the project will replace guardrail and pavement markings on Oliver Road from U.S. 166 to the Sedgwick County line. The site-specific project includes $570,000 in federal funds and a $159,000 local match, bringing the total project cost to $729,000.
“Kansas’ rural roads are an integral part of our state’s transportation system, playing a key role in connecting communities and supporting the Kansas economy,” Kelly said in the announcement. “These funds will provide crucial assistance to local governments across Kansas as they deliver projects to improve safety in our rural communities.”
KDOT Secretary Calvin Reed said more than half of Kansas’ fatal and serious injury crashes happen on the local road system, making targeted rural safety improvements especially important. This year, the state selected 13 projects from 32 applications that together requested $28.2 million in federal funds.
