DOT 51-06
Friday, April 21, 2006
Contact: Nancy Singer
Tel.: (202) 366-0660
Louisiana Receives Additional $53 Million To Repair Hurricane-Damaged Railroad
Signals and Highways
Louisiana is receiving an additional $53 million in federal funds to help
restore railroad signals, clear roads and continue repairs to hurricane-damaged
highways and bridges, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said today.
The Department has now made over $1 billion available to Louisiana with this
latest round of support, Mineta added.
The funding announced today reimburses the state for repairing railroad signals
in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes and additional expenses from
clearing downed trees, sand and other debris from highways after the storm. The
funding has been used to reopen the I-10 Twin Spans Bridge and repair or replace
traffic signals, highway signs, guardrails and washed out pavement and highway
shoulders.
“We will work with Louisiana until the job is done,” said Mineta. “Louisianans
know they will get the support and resources they need from Washington to
continue repairing roads and reopening businesses.”
Today’s funding is part of an emergency highway aid package for Gulf Coast
states requested by President Bush and approved by Congress the end of last
year.
In addition to providing federal dollars, Mineta said the Department of
Transportation has made it easier for Louisiana to use those funds by cutting
red tape and giving state officials the flexibility to get repairs underway as
quickly as possible. As a result, two lanes on the Twin Spans Bridge reopened in
mid-October only 47 days after its destruction by Katrina. All four lanes were
restored in early January nine days ahead of schedule.
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Briefing Room
