Schumer, Gillibrand Announce More Than $72 Million in Federal Funding to Upgrade and Replace Flood-Prone Upstate New York Bridges

Press Release

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $ $72,263,840.00 to update and replace 29 bridges throughout Upstate New York. The funding was allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and will fund the necessary improvements for bridges in high-risk flood areas throughout the Capital Region, Central New York, Southern Tier, Hudson Valley and North Country. This $72 million in federal funding will cover 100 percent of the repair and replacement costs.

"This federal funding will help keep our Upstate New York bridges in tip-top shape and ensure they are able to withstand all manner of severe weather events for a long time," 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."

"This is a major investment that will help strengthen critical transportation infrastructure in upstate New York," said Senator Gillibrand. "Our bridges are heavily traveled and are assets in our communities. This funding will help replace eroded and decaying bridges, helping to keep our communities safe and taking the tax burden off of local families."

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 the life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

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