AASHTO Journal, 26 February 2016
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Feb. 25 the Federal Highway Administration was making $1 million emergency relief funds available to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to help repair roads and bridges damaged by recent heavy rains and flooding.
“Emergency relief funding will help Arkansas begin to recover from the widespread damage caused by last month’s storms,” said Foxx. “We understand how important it is to get these roads repaired and reopened so life there can return to normal as soon as possible.”
Storms in late December and most of January caused severe flooding throughout the western half of the state, the FHWA said. The state will receive $1 million in initial or “quick release” funds to begin important repair work, make further damage assessments and restore road access.
Preliminary damages are estimated at more than $4.5 million, though the federal agency said that figure could grow as new information becomes available.
As he usually does in such disaster aid announcements, FHWA Administrator Greg Nadeau called the quick release assistance “just a down payment on what we know will be many other repairs to the highways” in Arkansas. “As the extent of damage becomes clearer, we won’t hesitate to make additional resources available,” he said.