WASHINGTON (Sen Cramer’s Office)  – U.S. Senator and Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee member Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced Friday the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) granted $4,300,000 to the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) to support highway and road reconstruction at multiple locations throughout North Dakota.

The Emergency Relief (ER) program within DOT, Federal Highway Administration, is authorized for the repair or reconstruction of federal-aid highways and roads on federal lands that have suffered serious damage as a result of natural disasters or catastrophic failures from an external cause.

These funds were awarded to the state after Governor Doug Burgum issued a formal emergency declaration due to flooding from rain and snowstorms and a request was filed for ER for the cost of damages to its eligible highways. Eligible repair work includes emergency repairs needed to restore essential traffic, minimize the extent of damage, or protect the remaining facilities as well as permanent repairs necessary to restore the highway to its pre-disaster condition.

In addition to traditional statewide flooding, the precipitation resulted in a significant rise to the following closed basin locations: 1) Rice Lake basin in Emmons County associated with event ND20-2, Fall 2019 Rice Lake Basin Flooding; 2) West James River basin in Burleigh, Dickey, Foster, Kidder, Lamoure, Logan, McIntosh, Stutsman, and Wells Counties, associated with event ND20-3, Fall 2019 West James River Basin Flooding; and 3) Salt Lake basin in Burleigh and Sheridan Counties associated with event ND20-5, Fall 2019 Salt Lake Basin Flooding. This $4,300,000 quick release will be distributed to these four flooding events as shown:
1) $1,500,000 to ND20-1, Fall 2019 Statewide Traditional Flooding; 2) $600,000 to ND20-2, Fall 2019 Rice Lake Basin Flooding; 3) $2,000,000 to ND20-3, Fall 2019 West James River Basin Flooding; and 4) $200,000 to ND20-5, Fall 2019 Salt Lake Basin Flooding.

Click here to read more about Friday’s announcement.