Photo: Shutterstock/Etienne Laurent
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have announced funding of $3 million in Emergency Relief (ER) funds to aid traffic management services and help repairs to infrastructure needed as a result of damage caused by wildfires in Lahaina on the island of Maui earlier this month.
The “quick release” funding will be used to help in the recovery or replacement of damaged and destroyed infrastructure, including portable battery-operated traffic signals, traffic signals, erosion control of damaged areas, signs, guardrails, jersey barriers to reroute traffic and protect pedestrians and workers, and traffic management services by the police.
U.S. transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said:
“The nation watched with broken hearts as wildfires took lives and livelihoods in Maui – and the nation will stand with Maui as it rebuilds.
“This emergency funding will help residents get transportation networks back up and running with traffic signal replacements, erosion control, guardrails, and more – and we will continue work to protect communities against these increasingly frequent climate disasters.”
The wildfires, which started on August 8, have resulted in catastrophic damage and loss of life in Lahaina. On August 10, President Biden declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Hawaii and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires.
FHWA’s Emergency Relief program provides funding to states, territories, Tribes, and Federal Land Management Agencies for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events.
More information about FHWA’s Emergency Relief program can be found here.
