Faced with the daunting task of restoring thousands of damaged private roads and bridges, North Carolina’s financial resources are proving insufficient. At a recent session of the Governor’s Recovery Office of Western North Carolina, officials confirmed that only about 300 repair projects can be funded.
Last year, North Carolina initiated a $175 million program aimed at reconnecting communities isolated since Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the state’s infrastructure. The initial damage estimate of $460 million for private roadways has now increased to over $500 million.
The escalation in costs is attributed to the increased complexity and scale of current projects compared to when the infrastructure was originally constructed. “A bridge that used to be a 10-foot bridge now requires a 75-foot bridge because of the span of the creek. And so, those figures and the cost of those bridges goes up exponentially,” explained Don Campbell, Chief of Staff for North Carolina Emergency Management.
Despite the application window being open until February 28, most of the available funding has already been allocated, according to Campbell. Currently, 51 repair projects are complete, with 236 more underway.
Campbell noted, “That really is going to take the majority of the funding that we have available to the program right now.” The state has processed over 3,600 applications, yet around 7,000 private roads, culverts, and bridges suffered damage from Hurricane Helene. While FEMA’s Individual Assistance program has contributed funds, its aid is capped at $42,000.
Priority is being given to projects that impact the most households and those lacking access to emergency services, Campbell stated. Governor Josh Stein has requested $1.6 billion for the repair of private and municipal roads and bridges, as part of a broader $13.5 billion federal aid petition made last year. This month, Stein, along with members of the GROW NC committee, revisited Washington, D.C., to continue lobbying for this funding.
Stein remarked, “We’ve been pushing hard and we’ve seen some bipartisan interest in our congressional delegation to do more for Helene recovery. We’re going to keep pushing and keep pushing.”
