Transportation Secretary Slater Announces $1 Million in Emergency Relief Funds To Repair North Carolina Bridge

Topics:  Rodney E. Slater

Federal Highway Administration
December 3, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 3, 1998
Contact: Jim Pinkelman
Tel.: 202-366-0660
FHWA 57-98

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater today announced that North Carolina will receive $1 million in emergency relief funds to repair damage to the federal-aid bridge on State Route 1755 over Interstate 40 in Burke County.

The bridge was critically damaged and closed to traffic as a result of an accident on July 24, 1998.

"President Clinton and I recognize the disruption that this area in North Carolina suffered because of the bridge closure," Secretary Slater said. "We are particularly concerned about damage to bridges because efficient transportation is vital to the daily lives of the people affected and also to the state’s economy."

The $1 million, which comes from the department’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), was provided in response to the state’s request for help to repair the bridge.

FHWA money is awarded after the President or the governor issues a formal emergency proclamation and the state has filed a preliminary damage assessment for its highways and bridges on the federal-aid system. The funds reimburse the state for emergency work that is already completed and provides funding for other necessary repairs to correct major or unusual damage to federal-aid highways.

Eligible repair work includes reconstructing damaged bridges and pavement surfaces, establishing detours, removing slides and debris, and replacing signs, lighting and guardrails.