WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) today announced a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help repair roads and infrastructure damaged in the August floods.
“This grant is a critical step in helping Louisiana recover and rebuild after the ‘thousand year flood’ last August. I would like to thank the Department of Transportation for working with us to get this money to our state,” said Sen. Kennedy. “I am grateful this vital assistance is on the way.”
“This federal aid assures the people of Louisiana that more help is on its way,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Repairing our damaged infrastructure represents a crucial step in our recovery. The entire Louisiana delegation continues to work to ensure that our state has every resource it needs to rebuild and prosper.”
“Recovery efforts in Louisiana are ongoing, and I’m glad that this grant was approved to help rebuild local infrastructure that was damaged. I look forward to continuing to work with the rest of my Louisiana colleagues to ensure that those affected by the August flooding receive the resources they need to get their lives back on track,” said Rep. Scalise (La.-01).
“It’s encouraging that the federal government has provided these resources to help the citizens of Louisiana fix infrastructure and roads damaged by the floods of 2016. I expect our state officials to make the areas most damaged by the flooding top priority in receiving funding,” said Rep. Higgins (La.-03).
“Last month, I testified before the House Appropriations Committee to stress the importance of investing in Louisiana’s transportation infrastructure. Severe flooding and storms devastated much of the state last year, and many areas have yet to see any restoration. Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Transportation seems to share my concerns regarding the lack of funding. I am very pleased with this investment in our state and will continue to fight for additional improvements while in Congress,” said Rep. Johnson (La.-04).
“Infrastructure repair is vital to comprehensive recovery, and this grant is an important step toward getting our communities back on their feet. I appreciate the Department of Transportation for awarding our state this grant that will help Louisiana bounce back from last year’s floods,” said Rep. Abraham (La.-05).
“This is another step forward in our recovery. In addition to the billions of dollars in other federal flood recovery funds, this $10M in transportation funding helps to address damages to our roads and bridges resulting from the August flood,” said Rep. Graves (La.-06).
Grant Description:
Title 23, U.S.C., Section 125, authorizes an Emergency Relief (ER) program within the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 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. These funds are awarded to a State after the President or the Governor issues a formal emergency declaration and the State files a request for ER for the cost of damages to its eligible highways. Eligible repair work includes emergency repairs needed to restore essential traffic, minimize the extent of damage, or protect the remaining facilities as well as permanent repairs necessary to restore the highway to its pre-disaster condition.
The repair work includes stabilizing and repairing the impacted roadway embankments, rebuilding damaged roadways, and the repair/replacement of damaged structures, and scour at bridges.
