Umatilla County works on another grant for another crash-prone road
By Terry Murry on Friday, March 13th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – Umatilla County is seeking an Oregon Department of Transportation Safety grant to help educate motorists on the need for caution on Highway 395 in Hermiston to Highway 730. That stretch of road has recently experienced a large increase in vehicle crashes and fatalities.
“It gives our planning department an opportunity to do some marketing and do some educational work,” Umatilla County Commissioner Cindy Timmons said.
The grant, which requires a 20 percent match in county funds, also covers overtime funding for the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office to increase patrols in the area. The county is anticipating spending $7,500.
The county has already received a grant for safe driving and marketing activities along Highway 11 in Milton-Freewater. Timmons said that money has seen increased patrols as well as education to young drivers at McLoughlin High School.
ODOT’s Safety Priority Index System highlights five locations along Highway 395 in the Hermiston area as being areas of concern. That system charts problem locations based on crash frequency, severity, and rate.
