The funding of US$513.2 million will be will be shared between 30 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to help make repairs to roads and bridges damaged by storms, floods, wildfires and other events in recent years.
“These funds with help communities across our nation repair roads and bridges damaged by severe weather events, which are becoming increasingly common because of climate change,” said US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg. “From recent hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast, to wildfires in California and floods and mudslides in numerous states, we must address the devastating impacts of climate change and work to build more sustainable transportation infrastructure to better withstand its impacts for years to come.”
“Climate change impacts the lives of Americans on a daily basis and has increasingly meant that our nation’s transportation infrastructure is facing more frequent and unpredictable damage from severe weather events,” said acting federal highway administrator Stephanie Pollack. “The emergency relief funding the administration is announcing today will overwhelmingly go toward repairing damage to roads and bridges relied upon by communities across the country.”
The bulk of FHWA’s Emergency Relief funding goes toward reimbursement to fix and restore roads and bridges in the aftermath of weather-related events, including Hurricane Ida damage in several states and California wildfires. Additional funding is available to repair or replace structures due to catastrophic failure from external causes, such as the pedestrian bridge in Washington DC over Route 295 that collapsed when a truck hit the bridge in June 2021 (link opens in new tab).
