Buena Vista County will share in a major federal investment aimed at making rural roads safer.
County Engineer Bret Wilkinson told the board of supervisors during its weekly meeting yesterday that Buena Vista, Clay, and Pocahontas counties have been awarded a Safe Streets for All Implementation Grant totaling $6.8 million in federal funding.
Clay County will administer the grant, but each county will receive its share for targeted safety projects.
The SS4A program is part of a nationwide push by the U.S. Department of Transportation to reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries. In fiscal year 2025, 521 awards were announced nationwide, totaling nearly $982 million. Of those, 67 Implementation Grants—including the one for Buena Vista County—will fund construction projects identified in local safety action plans.
Wilkinson says the three counties teamed up to strengthen their application.
He adds that the collaboration was carefully balanced to make the proposal stand out.
For Buena Vista County, the focus is on County Road C65, where Wilkinson says crashes have led to fatalities and serious injuries.
Planned work includes widening shoulders, resurfacing stretches of pavement, and improving intersections heavily used by semi traffic near Tyson Foods in Storm Lake.
The county’s share of the project is estimated at $2.86 million, with the federal grant covering 80 percent—about $2.29 million—and Buena Vista County contributing a local match of roughly $572,000.
Wilkinson notes that costs could rise over time, but the federal share is capped.
He says the work will be phased in over the next five years once the grant agreement is signed.
Nationwide, SS4A Implementation Grants are expected to deliver significant safety benefits. Over the past five years, the roadways selected for funding have seen 1,000 lives lost and more than 7,000 serious injuries. Half of the awards will benefit rural communities, with more than $340 million directed to rural and Tribal areas.
For Buena Vista County, Wilkinson says the improvements on C65 will not only extend the life of the road, but most importantly, make it safer for everyone who travels it.
