Guardrail damage from recent wildfires in northern California.The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has made available $2 million to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for road and bridge repairs required after damage from recent wildfires in the northern part of the state.
Total estimates of repair costs for road and bridge damage aren’t complete yet, but the running total sits at $19 million for highway areas in a 74,000-acre zone in Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties. The funds will be used to repair damaged pavements, replacing signs and guardrails and stabilization work on roadside slopes and embankments.
“We want to make sure we restore vital travel links in the region as soon as possible,” FHWA Administrator Gregory Nadeau said in a statement. “Peoples’ lives are greatly affected when the highways they rely upon for daily travel are destroyed.”
Highways affected include a section of SR-29 that is closed from Calistoga to the Napa/Lake County line and from Hidden Valley Lake to SR-53, as well as a section of SR-5175 that is shut down from Middletown to SR-29 near Clear Lake.
“Emergency relief funding will make immediate repairs possible throughout the area and reopen critical roads again,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “We want to ensure that everyone in this region of California has access to safe roads and safe bridges — and this funding will help ensure that travel can get back to normal as soon as possible.”
Caltrans employees already have been repairing roadside areas, as shown in this department video.
