Federal government will help Arkansas' roads recover from last spring's tornadoes

U.S. Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman, along with Congressmen Rick Crawford (AR-1), Tim Griffin (AR-2), Steve Womack (AR-3), and Mike Ross (AR-4) announced the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department will receive a $1 million grant to repair and reconstruct federal highways and roads that were damaged by severe storms, flooding, and tornadoes this past spring.

“The severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that swept through our state this year wreaked havoc on many of our highways and roads,” Pryor said. “This funding paves the way for necessary repairs, creating immediate construction jobs and ensuring we have well-maintained infrastructure to move passengers and goods. This grant is a good example of how federal dollars can be reinvested to support local needs.”

“Despite extensive state and local efforts to clean up and rebuild, the series of storms that ravaged Arkansas this year caused damage beyond our local governments’ abilities to respond. The federal highways and roads that run through these storm damaged communities is a perfect example of where Washington needs to provide relief, so I am pleased to see the Department of Transportation has issued these funds to Arkansas. This grant will help our communities recover by restoring the highways that are vital to Arkansans,” Boozman said.

"This year Arkansans were reminded of Mother Nature's force. Many people across our region are still picking up the pieces of their lives that were disrupted by natural disasters. Funds from the Department of Transportation will help local authorities repair roads and bridges that were damaged by the natural disasters. These funds should be used prudently in the areas of greatest need,” Crawford said.

“Communities all over Arkansas are still recovering from last spring’s storms,” Griffin said. “Our highways play a critical part in our state’s economy and these much needed funds will help restore some of the roads that were damaged.”

“Our state’s transportation infrastructure took a beating from the 2011 storms resulting in a tremendous financial hardship for the Arkansas Highway Department,” said Womack. “Our roads and highways are critical to our economic well-being, not to mention the safety of our citizens. This grant helps mitigate the extraordinary expense in repairing this vital infrastructure.”

"The flooding and storms we've faced over the past year have taken a toll on our roads and bridges," said Ross. "In order to attract new businesses and bring more commerce to the state, we must have top-notch infrastructure in place to handle the growth. These federal investments will be instrumental in helping Arkansas repair and rebuild our roads and bridges to create jobs in the short term and grow our economy in the long term."

The Department of Transportation, which issued the grant, said the funds will be used to complete emergency repair work. Eligible work includes repairs to restore traffic, minimize the extent of storm damage, protect remaining facilities, and restore highways to their pre-disaster condition.

The following counties in Arkansas will be affected: Arkansas, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Chicot, Clark, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Polk, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Searcy, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, and Yell.