The U.S. Department of Transportation has made $13 million in quick release emergency relief funds available immediately to New York and Rhode Island to start repairing damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. The sum matched 100 percent of what the states requested — $10 million from New York and $3 million from Rhode Island. There will probably be more requests and more money available, the DOT said in its announcement, but these are the first two states to ask for assistance.
The money obviously goes to efforts to repair roads, bridges and tunnels, the DOT says, and “follows President Obama’s call for federal agencies to act quickly and bring all available resources to bear as quickly as possible,” the announcement says.
Quick release funds are provided by the Federal Highway Administration and are designed for repairs that are necessary immediately.
