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FHWA 06-15
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Contact: Nancy Singer
Tel: 202-366-0660

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx Announces More than $232 Million in Emergency Relief for Road/Bridge Repairs

Funds will be used to address widespread flood damage in 26 states and Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced $232.5 million in Emergency Relief (ER) funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to help 26 states and Puerto Rico repair roads and bridges damaged by storms, floods and other unexpected events.

"We are committed to getting transportation facilities restored as quickly as possible following natural disasters and other emergencies," said Secretary Foxx. "These funds will certainly repair roads and bridges, but most importantly, they are helping people who rely on them every day to arrive at their jobs and pick up their children at school."

FHWA's ER program reimburses states for eligible expenses associated with damage from natural disasters or other emergency situations based on their requests. The funds help to pay for the reconstruction or replacement of damaged highways and bridges along with the arrangement of detours and replacement of guardrails or other damaged safety devices.

According to Beyond Traffic, a report issued by the Department in February, the Federal Highway Administration estimates that approximately $77 billion in annual investment is needed to meet the needs of our federal-aid highway system. In addition, there are 60,000 miles of coastal roads in America that are exposed to flooding from heavy rain and storm surges. Low-lying road infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to storm surges and bridges— because they often cross or are near bodies of water— are vulnerable to storm surges.

"We want states to know that they can go ahead and expedite repairs where they are needed most following a disaster and that they will be repaid," said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. "It is our top priority to help states and their communities that have been hurt by storms like these -- so their residents can get back to traveling freely and safely again."

At $55 million, Colorado topped the list among states reimbursed through the ER program –for a single flood event that caused widespread damage throughout the state, most of which is in the Boulder area.

Arizona also received $36 million for a slope failure on US 89 in Coconino County and Ohio $34 million for rock fall damages on SR 7 in Jefferson County. Both Alabama, in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, and Tennessee, south of Nashville, are repaid for repairs on two bridges on I-65 damaged by truck fires.

Delaware received funding to fix damaged piers on the I-495 bridge spanning the Christina River near the Port of Wilmington. Twenty other states received funding for extensive flooding, rainfall and other eligible events as well.

Emergency Relief Program Allocation

State Event Title Allocation
Alabama Feb. 9, 2012  I-20 Sinkhole $320,000
Alabama Feb. 1-26, 2013  Severe Flooding $1,200,000
Alabama April 28, 2014  Storms and Flooding $1,500,000
Alabama May 22, 2014  Truck Crash and Fire on I-65 Bridge $4,607,000
Alabama July 31, 2014  Truck Crash/Fire on I-10 EB Bridge at Exit 30 $850,000
Arizona Jan. 2010  Winter Storm $1,000,000
Arizona Feb. 20, 2013  US 89 Slope Failure $36,000,000
Arizona Sept. 2014  Rainfall and Flooding $12,500,000
California Feb. 2014  Storms $2,765,597
California Aug. 24, 2014  Napa Valley Earthquake $4,800,000
Colorado Sept. 11, 2013  Flooding $55,000,000
Colorado Aug. 9, 2013  US 24 Flood Damage $576,159
Colorado Jan. 2014  US 550 Rockfall $850,000
Delaware June 2014  I-495 Bridge Pier Damage $4,000,000
Florida Aug. 25, 2012  Tropical Storm Isaac $900,000
Florida April 29-30, 2014  Spring Flooding $13,400,000
Idaho July 31-Aug. 7, 2014  Heavy Rainfall and Flooding $320,000
Indiana April 2011  Severe Storms and Flooding $369,603
Kentucky June 2011  Storms and Flooding $212,611
Kentucky March 2012  Tornadoes and Storms $53,342
Kentucky April 2013  Storms and Flooding $100,437
Michigan Sept. 26, 2014  Pedestrian Bridge Collapse $200,000
Montana March 2014  Severe Flooding $1,639,860
Nebraska May 2011  Platte and Missouri River Flooding $2,015,609
Nevada Sept. 2014  Rainfall and Flooding $9,144,000
New Mexico Sept. 9, 2013  Flooding $3,000,000
New Mexico September 18, 2014 Severe Storms and Flooding $530,500
New York May 2014  Flooding $1,000,000
North Dakota May 19, 2014  Southern Mouse River Basin Flooding $3,954,540
North Dakota May 19, 2014  West James River Basin Flooding $1,736,539
North Dakota May 19, 2014  Divide County Basin 1 Flooding $4,923,337
North Dakota May 19, 2014  Divide County Basin 2 Flooding $1,283,498
Ohio Mid-March 2011  Heavy Rain fall $1,500,000
Ohio Jan. 2012  ER Event in Jefferson County $34,375,000
Oklahoma May 24 - June 10, 2007  Flooding Event $1,044,000
Oregon Feb. 6, 2014  I-84 Rockslide $750,000
Puerto Rico May 10, 2014  Rio Grande Rainfall $1,000,000
South Carolina Aug. 6, 2013  Jones Mill Rd Bridge Failure $483,412
South Dakota June 2014  Heavy Rainfall and Flooding $4,608,812
Tennessee April 28-30, 2014  Storms, Landslide, and Rockslide $825,600
Tennessee Aug. 15, 2014  Tanker Truck Crash and Fire on I-65 $2,060,497
Utah Sept. 2014  Rainfall and Flooding - Utah detours $200,000
Vermont April 23 - May 30, 2011  Severe Storms and Flooding $166,000
Vermont Aug. 27, 2011 Tropical Storm Irene $4,440,000
Washington Sept. 2013  Rain US 12 Slide $230,027
Washington March 2014  Abnormal Rainfall $5,093,898
Washington Aug. 21, 2014  Heavy Rainfall and Flooding $3,527,285
Wisconsin June 2012 NW  Wisconsin Flooding Event $1,200,000
Wisconsin Sept. 25, 2013  I-43 Leo Frigo Bridge Pier Failure $200,000
Total $232,457,163

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FHWA Press Releases

Page posted on February 18, 2015
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000