InfrastructureFeds give upstate New York counties $5 million money to repair roads, bridges

Published 29 July 2013

The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) has approved $5 million in emergency funding to help fifteen upstate New York counties make repairs to their roads and bridges damaged in a flood late last month.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) has approved $5 million in emergency funding to help fifteen upstate New York counties make repairs to their roads and bridges damaged in a flood late last month.

The Syracuse Post-Standard reports that the aid will pay for work needed to clean up debris and rebuild washed-out roads.

The highway aid is separate from the aid the counties will also receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will help rebuild local infrastructure in twelve of the fifteen affected counties.

Although FEMA has decided to help in some capacity, the agency rejected New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s request for disaster aid to individual homeowners in the affected counties. Instead, Cuomo will make available  up to $16 million in state aid.

Flood assistance teams last week began accepting applications from victims who need assistance in rebuilding their homes and businesses.

Broome, Chenango, Clinton, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Herkimer, Montgomery, Otsego, St. Lawrence, Schoharie, Tioga, Warren, Madison, and Oneida counties will each receive a portion of the aid.

According to Senators Chuck Schumer (D-New York) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), the highway aid will also assist in the repairs to portions of Route 51, Route 168, Route 5, and Route 80, as well as highway and pedestrian bridges over Otsquago Creek in Montgomery County.

“This injection of federal dollars is great news and will aid the local and municipal governments in their initial repairs, and take a significant burden off the local taxpayers,” Schumer told the Post-Standard. “Today is only one of the first steps in a long road to recovery, but it is a significant step, and great news for the Upstate New York counties affected by the flooding.”