Connecticut will receive $1 million in emergency relief funds immediately available to the state to repair bridges damaged by March’s floods. The funding will be delivered through the Federal Highway Administration, a division of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), and will go to repair bridges in Fairfield, New London, Windham, New Haven, and Middlesex Counties.
“March’s heavy rains caused serious destruction across our state, not only to people’s homes and businesses, but to major roads and bridges that play a key role in transporting commuters where they need to go,” said Senator Dodd. “Ensuring the structural stability of our bridges should be one of our top priorities—and this critically important funding will support vital repairs and reconstruction of bridges that were damaged or washed out as a result of the flooding.”
“The recent storms have had a significant impact on Connecticut’s infrastructure, and these funds will be critical to ensuring that our citizens can travel safely across our many bridges and highways,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “I am pleased that our state’s needs have been recognized, and will continue to work to with federal, state, and local officials to make certain our residents get the help they need as we move forward.”
“Some of Connecticut’s roads and bridges were hit hard by heavy rain this spring, so we desperately need these emergency funds to make sure that they are structurally sound and people can travel safely. As the state continues to clean up from these storms, I will work with the rest of the Congressional delegation and Governor Rell to ensure that we recover,” said Congressman Murphy.
“Dangerous conditions on bridges or, worse yet, a collapse could lead to accidents and loss of lives,” said Congressman Himes. “Flooding is a persistent problem in our area, and this assistance is essential to protecting local travelers and helping us get back on our feet after the storm.”
According to USDOT, emergency relief funds can be used for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause.
