In The News
FHWA provides emergency relief funds for roadwork in 4 states after flooding
The U.S. Department of Transportation has reported that road crews have been working around the clock to repair roads and bridges damaged by heavy spring flooding and other natural disasters thanks to FHWA emergency relief funds.
In the two weeks between May 21 and June 3 alone, DOT reported in its Fast Lane blog, the Federal Highway Administration made available $11 million in Emergency Relief funds for flood-damaged roads in four states.
This spring, road crews in Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas, and Alaska have worked hard to keep communities connected, and we appreciate their efforts.
The Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program reimburses states for the work of repairing and shoring up roads damaged by natural disasters or other catastrophes. The ER program supplements the resources committed by states and local agencies to help pay for unusually heavy expenses resulting from extraordinary conditions.
And you didn't have to live in one of those four states to see that this spring's torrential rains were extraordinary.
April storms resulted in flooding and mudslides throughout Kentucky, causing highway embankment failures and road and bridge damage statewide. FHWA released $3 million to the Kentucky DOT to cover part of the costs of repairing a section of State Highway (SH) 52 that collapsed in Lee County near Beattyville, and a portion of SH 22 in Louisville that was completely washed out.
The Texas DOT will use $5 million in FHWA ER funds to help pay for initial bridge and road repairs in Blanco County and Hays County, including the replacement of the Ranch-to-Market Road (RM) 165's Blanco River Bridge in Blanco County and I-35 pavement repairs in Hays County. The total cost of repairing roads caused by significant rainfall and flooding in 37 Texas counties is expected to reach at least $20 million. State officials are still updating those estimates.
In Alaska, the Dalton Highway is the only road connecting Fairbanks to the North Slope oil fields. Many of the states businesses and residents rely on this vital link. The highway carries a significant amount of truck traffic for the region —160 to 250 trucks each day — depending on the time of year. It's also important for the tourism industry since the highway is within a few miles of the Arctic Ocean. Flooding on the Dalton Highway began in March when an ice dam caused the Sag River to overflow, closing the road. The route remained under several feet of ice until temperatures rose in May, allowing the snow and ice to melt. FHWA provided $2 million in ER funds toward the estimated $7 million in repair costs for pavements, embankments, and drainage systems.
And in Oklahoma, $1 million FHWA ER funds will help repair landslide damage to three major highways in the state: U.S. 271 south of Clayton, SH-1 in LeFlore County, and SH-82 in Haskell County. That amount could rise in the near future as Oklahoma DOT officials continue to assess the damage in the 77 counties affected by recent flooding.
The Trucker staff can be reached to comment on this article at [email protected].