Federal Highway Administration providing $800M in disaster relief

The Federal Highway Administration recently announced $802 million in disaster-relief funds to 36 states as well as Guam and Puerto Rico for the repair of roads and bridges damaged by natural disasters.

Damage resulting from extreme weather or catastrophic events including hurricanes, flooding and mudslides is covered under this disaster relief, according to an FHWA news release.

“Americans are dealing with the impacts of more and more extreme weather caused by climate change – affecting their lives and our infrastructure,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “With these funds, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping communities rebuild key transportation links and make them more resilient for the future.”

Repairs resulting from the aforementioned natural disasters will receive federal reimbursement funding under the FHWA emergency relief program. Hurricanes Ian and Fiona in 2022, flooding and mudslides in Vermont in 2023 and severe atmospheric rivers in California between 2022 and 2024 are among the disaster repairs funded by this program, FHWA said.

FHWA announced $2M in “quick release” #EmergencyReliefFunds in Puerto Rico following Tropical Storm Ernesto. These funds will help reopen federally owned roads impacted by heavy rain, winds, landslides, and flooding.

Read more: https://t.co/5SddhsqUkp pic.twitter.com/vTIIZChonI

— Federal Highway Admn (@USDOTFHWA) September 13, 2024

“Since December 2021, FHWA has distributed nearly $4.2 billion in emergency relief funding, which helps states repair and recover from climate events and natural disasters,” Acting FHWA Administrator Kristin White said. “This federal funding is critical to ensure our nation’s roads, bridges and tunnels remain safe and people can safely get where they need to be.”

A complete list of 2024 emergency relief allocations for each state or U.S. territory is available on the program website.

States of emergency

Several states remain under emergency declarations due to natural disasters, including flooding in Louisiana and wildfires in Oregon and Wyoming.

Under those emergencies, certain restrictions for motor carriers and drivers assisting with disaster-relief efforts are temporarily suspended.

Nationwide traffic alerts can be found on this Land Line resources page.

Read more about which restrictions have been waived and for how long at LandLine.media. LL