Otter Tail County to receive 1 of 7 federal grants allocated to Minnesota through U.S. Dept. of Transportation; grants are part of the 2021 federal infrastructure bill

Fergus Falls, Minn. (KBRF) – Otter Tail County will be receiving one of seven total Safe Streets For All Federal Grants allocated to Minnesota by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The federal agency issued $813 million in program grants to regional, local and tribal communities as part of the President Biden’s Infrastructure Bill, which was passed out of Congress and signed into law in 2021.

The Department of Transportation states the funds must be used to, quote: “… help tackle the preventable crisis of deaths on the nation’s roads through safer people, roads, and vehicles, appropriate vehicle speeds, and improved post-crash care.”

Otter Tail County plans to use the grant to fund and help implement the county’s safety action plan to improve safety on more than 1,000 miles of highways across Otter Tail County.

From 2017 to 2021, there were 30 traffic crash fatalities on Otter Tail County highways.

Public input meeting on Otter Tail County’s Safety Action Plan will be held in summer 2024.

For more information on upcoming meetings and to receive updates about the Safety Action Plan, visit the county’s website at: ottertailcounty.gov/highway.