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The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has made $3 million in Emergency Relief (ER) funds available for the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) to repair damages caused by a recent truck fire on I-95 in Norwalk, Connecticut.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized the importance of I-95 by stating, “I-95 is a critical highway—for both the people of Connecticut and our nation’s transportation network—and the Biden-Harris Administration focused immediately on helping Governor Lamont quickly restore travel.”
Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt highlighted the impact of the damage on the community, saying, “The damage to I-95 in Norwalk disrupted the daily lives, travel, and business for local residents as well as the surrounding regions that rely on this vital route.”
The incident on May 2, 2024, which involved a gas tanker collision and subsequent fire, led to the closure of I-95 in both directions after compromising the Fairfield Avenue bridge. CTDOT determined that the bridge would need to be demolished and rebuilt to ensure safety. Thanks to the quick release of Emergency Relief funding, CTDOT was able to reopen I-95 within less than 80 hours.
FHWA’s Emergency Relief program provides crucial support for repairing highways and bridges damaged by disasters or catastrophic events. The “quick release” funds allocated are just the initial installment towards restoring this essential transportation link, with additional funding to come from the Emergency Relief program.
The FHWA Emergency Relief program aligns with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law by promoting resilience in the design and repair of infrastructure to mitigate future damage from climate change and extreme weather events.
For more details on FHWA’s Emergency Relief program, visit https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/erelief.cfm.
