Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $13,888,000 in federal funding to upgrade and repair flood-prone bridges in Warren and Columbia counties. The Town of Warrensburg will receive $8,308,000 for the Route 28 bridge over the Hudson River, and the Town of Claverack will receive $5,580,000 for the Route 9H bridge over the Taghkanic 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 our Capital Region bridges in tip-top shape and ensure they are able to better withstand the next major storm,” said Senator Schumer. “These 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 important bridges in the Capital Region,” 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.