State
Maine to Receive $3.5 Million for Flood Repairs in Durham
By Office of Rep Michaud
Feb 13, 2013 - 7:45:39 AM

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Representative Mike Michaud, a longtime member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, praised the announcement that the Federal Highway Administration is providing $3,506,787 to the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) Durham Route 136 river embankment project. According to Maine DOT, it has been carefully monitoring an embankment supporting about two miles of Route 136 along the Androscoggin River in Durham. Recent heavy rains, coupled with changes in river elevation, triggered deterioration and forced the department to reduce traffic to one lane. Additional details on the project can be found on Maine DOT's website.

"I'm pleased this funding is being released to help rebuild after the flooding that occurred this past June," said Michaud. "This critical investment will help repair the embankment and road so that normal traffic flow can be restored."

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the funding announced today comes from the Emergency Relief (ER) program within the Federal Highway Administration, which funds the repair or reconstruction of Federal-aid highways and roads on Federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause. These funds are awarded to a state after the president or governor issues a formal emergency declaration and the state files a request for ER for the cost of damages to its eligible highways. 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.