Chad Abshire

Staff Writer

WASHINGTON, D.C. –West Virginia was recently awarded $1.4 million in emergency relief funds by the U.S. Department of Transportation for the repair or reconstruction of Federally-aided highways and roads that suffered damage as a result of storm damage last year.

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, along with Sens. Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin, (all D-W.Va.), announced the funding.

“The destruction that Mother Nature unleashed on us last year caused significant and repeat damage to our state’s roads and transportation infrastructure, taking a significant economic toll on our state and local governments, as well as our families and businesses,” Rahall said. “These federal emergency relief funds will help our state to repair the damage to highways and roads and move us further along the path toward recovery.”

Funds like what the state secured are usually awarded to a state after the president or governor issues a formal emergency declaration and the state files a request for emergency relief for the cost of damages to eligible highways.

“Flooding last year heavily damaged West Virginia roads — damage that still exists today,” Rockefeller said. “Addressing those problem areas will mean better safety for our travelers and more wholly restored communities.”

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 storms that have passed through West Virginia in the past year have brought unseen destruction to our great state,” Manchin said. “Heavy winds, rain and snow have caused severe damage to our roads and infrastructure that we are still working to repair today. I am encouraged that this grant will help our communities get back to normal.”