ARKANSAS, USA — The United States Department of Transportation's (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration announced on Aug. 31 that it will provide $11.9 million in Emergency Relief Program (ERP) funds to Arkansas.
The funds will be used to reimburse the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department and the Forest Service for repairs to roads and bridges damaged by flooding in the Northwest part of the state in 2021 and Ozark-St. Francis National Forest in 2021.
The relief funding is a part of an overall $513.2 million ERP funding package that was implemented to help 30 states along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to repair roads and bridges damaged by natural disasters such as storms, floods, wildfires and other events in the recent years.
Arkansas will also be able to use this reimbursement to help address the ongoing impacts of climate change and severe weather throughout the state.
“These funds with help communities across our nation repair roads and bridges damaged by severe weather events, which are becoming increasingly common because of climate change,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
According to USDOT's news release, the relief program complements the Biden-Harris Administration’s approach to fighting climate change while managing its ongoing effects. The administration wants to encourage transportation agencies to implement measures that will make infrastructure more resilient and equipped to withstand damage from possible severe weather in the future.
To read more about ERP funding in Arkansas and other states, click here.
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