U.S. Department of Transportation Allocates Over $30 Million for Tennessee Road and Bridge Repairs Following Hurricane Helene
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the immediate release of $32 million in Emergency Relief funding for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. These funds are a quickly released ‘down payment’ to help in the immediate aftermath to support emergency repair work stemming from Hurricane Helene.
“As recovery operations continue, this emergency transportation funding will help Tennessee address immediate needs on the path to recovery, and more support will be available as further requests come in,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to helping communities recover and rebuild, which includes restoring transportation networks and key routes.”
“Our top priority is to support the communities around Tennessee impacted by Helene and our teams have been working tirelessly, shoulder-to-shoulder, alongside Tennesseans to support emergency efforts,” said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Kristin White. “This funding is a really important step on the road to recovery and helps the state immediately put it to good use to help communities recover and rebuild.”
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s robust response to Hurricane Helene, USDOT is supporting response and recovery efforts in impacted communities. Secretary Buttigieg has received regular briefings from USDOT operating administrations and has communicated with Governor Henry McMaster. Additionally, this week he visited FEMA Headquarters to be briefed on the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene and the emergency response and recovery actions. He also joined Cabinet colleagues to brief President Joe Biden at the White House.
In Tennessee, Hurricane Helene caused widespread infrastructure damage throughout the state, with substantial damage in eight counties. Damage includes roadway washouts, culvert loss, and a need for bridge repairs and replacements, resulting in the closure of I-40 and I-26 near the Tennessee/North Carolina state line.
These Emergency Relief “quick release” funds will be used by the Tennessee Department of Transportation to restore essential traffic on I-40 and I-26 and other state routes to provide critical connections to impacted areas and restore regional travel.
The FHWA’s Emergency Relief program provides funding to states, territories, tribes, and Federal Land Management Agencies for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events. These Emergency Relief funds, provided through the “quick release” process, are an initial installment of funds toward restoring this essential transportation link. Additional funds needed to repair damage in Tennessee will be supported by the Emergency Relief program through nationwide funding allocations.
The FHWA Emergency Relief program complements Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs and provisions by encouraging agencies to identify and implement measures to incorporate resilience in the design, restoration, and repair of damaged infrastructure, to better withstand future damage from climate change and future weather events.
