The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) said this week it was making $4.65 million in “quick release” emergency relief funds available to the U.S. Forest Service.
The money will repair federally owned roadways that were damaged due to heavy rain and severe flooding last month in the Cherokee National Forest.
“These emergency funds will help restore vital transportation links in the Cherokee National Forest that were damaged by last month’s floods,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “Transportation is an essential part of disaster recovery, and these funds will help clear debris and reconstruct pavement so that emergency vehicles can access the area, and residents can access their homes.”
Officials said transportation systems within the forest that were open to the public have been damaged and are impassable to standard passenger vehicles. The damage is so extensive, the department said, that emergency vehicles and passenger vehicles can’t make their way into the forest to make repairs. Additionally, private homeowners in the forest cannot access their property and are having difficulty in evacuating the area.
“The Federal Highway Administration is working closely with the U.S. Forest Service to make repairs and re-establish transportation services in Cherokee National Forest,” FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt said. “This funding is an initial down payment toward the cost of repairs to help authorities get the work done as quickly as possible.”
The funding comes from the FHWA’s Emergency Relief program which provides funding to states, territories, Tribes and Federal Land Management Agencies for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters. The “quick release” funds are a resource to restore essential transportation, officials said. Any additional funds needed to repair damages to the forest’s transportation systems will be supported by the Emergency Relief program through nationwide funding allocations.