The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on Saturday (10/5/24) announced the immediate release of $32 million in Emergency Relief funding for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
“As recovery operations continue, this emergency transportation funding will help Tennessee address immediate needs on the path to recovery, and more support will be available as further requests come in,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
In Tennessee, Hurricane Helene caused substantial damage in eight counties. Damage includes roadway washouts, culvert loss, and a need for bridge repairs and replacements, resulting in the closure of I-40 and I-26 near the Tennessee/North Carolina state line.
These Emergency Relief “quick release” funds will be used by the Tennessee Department of Transportation to restore essential traffic on I-40 and I-26 and other state routes to provide critical connections to impacted areas and restore regional travel.
Tennessee requested and the FHWA approved the quick release amount. This follows quick release funding provided to North Carolina on Saturday and to South Carolina earlier week for Hurricane Helene damage.