The Federal Highway Administration recently issued $26 million in immediate Emergency Relief or ER funding to the Indiana Department of Transportation and $6 million to Hawaii Department of Transportation to help repair roads and bridges damaged by recent flooding.
[Above photo via the Indiana Governor’s Office]
In mid-August, what’s been described as a “one-thousand-year rainfall event” dropped nearly 14 inches of rain in 10 hours across much of central Indiana; devastating the state’s transportation infrastructure, collapsing bridges and fracturing highways.
In particular, the White River – which cuts south through Indiana – rose to heights not seen in the area since 1913, according to INDOT; inundating hundreds of homes, businesses, and communities.
The agency said plans to use the FHWA’s ER funding to rapidly repair I-70, State Route 38, and the Hazel Dell Parkway Bridge just north of Indianapolis, which handles annual daily traffic of over 10,000 vehicles while providing important north-south access to the city for commuters.
“[We are] working closely with the Indiana Department of Transportation to speed up repairs and help ensure critical
transportation is restored as soon as possible,” said Sean McMaster, FHWA administrator, in a statement. “The emergency relief funding we are providing will help the state quickly fix broken transportation links so people can get back to work, run their businesses, and get back to their daily routines.”
Meanwhile, Hurricane Lala ravaged the Hawaiian Island chain; damaging communities and infrastructure with over 20 inches of rainfall while causing widespread highway closures, mudslides, and debris. Torrential rain from Hurricane Lala also washed out a significant portion of Mamalahoa Highway (also known as Route 11) on the Island of Hawaii south of MP 51.5. FHWA noted in a separate statement that ER funding will help Hawaii DOT repair and reopen critical roadways affected by the hurricane-driven flooding.
Hawaii DOT noted that it is constructing an emergency temporary access road bypassing the washout location as it rebuilds the washed-out portion of Mamalahoa Highway. By late August, the agency said in a statement that it had completed major roadway repairs to the Mamalahoa Highway and cleared nearly 100,000 pounds of debris during that effort.
