CHIPPEWA FALLS — Chippewa County has launched a transportation safety study to identify the most dangerous intersections and crossings in the county, and they are asking for the public to help.
Chippewa County Highway Department Commissioner Brian Kelley said the county received a $200,000 federal grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the county is paying a $50,000 match to create the Chippewa County Safety Action Plan.
The highway department has placed an interactive map on its website for the public to fill out in order to identify dangerous roadways.
“We really want to hear from people,” Kelley said Wednesday. “It’s an opportunity to have inputs on serious decisions. In the next year, we’ll finish the study and we’ll apply for implementation funding.”
Kelley said they want to hear on the spots they might not have considered.
“We can be reactive and look at the crash history but we also want to be proactive in hearing on spots,” Kelley said.
The county is working with Minneapolis-based SRF Consulting to do the study.
Nicole Bitzan with SRF Consulting said her firm will have booths at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair and at Pure Water Days, with a goal of wrapping up the public input period by the end of August, then move toward completion of the study by February or March 2026.
“I think it’s important to be able to identify your fatal and serious crash locations in the county, and make them a priority,” she said. “The more (data) the better. Any comments are super helpful. Our analysis looks at the historical crashes, but also where they may occur in the future because of crash characteristics.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) discretionary program with $5 billion in appropriated funds in the United States over 5 years, 2022-2026; Kelley said they have already received the money. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries.
To participate in the study, visit tinyurl.com/dxvjdewa .
