Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $669,600 in federal funding to upgrade and repair a flood-prone bridge in Herkimer County. The Town of Stark will receive the money for the Route 168 bridge over a tributary of Otsquago Creek.
The funding was allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), and will fund necessary safety improvements for bridges in high-risk flood areas. The bridges were selected for funding because of their high susceptibility to scour, their small inadequate openings, and their foundation types.
“This federal funding will help keep a vital Herkimer County bridge in tip-top shape and ensure that it is able to better withstand the next major storm,” said Senator Schumer. “Bridges are vital links in the transportation system that sustain our economy, and we must do all we can to make sure they are in a state of good repair.”
“It is critical that our federal government provides the necessary funding for repairs to such an important bridge in Herkimer County,” said Senator Gillibrand. “These upgrades will help keep our communities safe, and they will make sure we are better prepared when the next big storm comes to our area.”
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides funding under Section 404 of the Stafford Act, the federal disaster law that supplies aid to states and localities to implement long-term resiliency measures after a major disaster. The purpose of these grants is to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.