The US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has allocated more than $1bn in Emergency Relief (ER) funds to repair road and bridges damaged by natural calamities and other events.

The funding will be distributed across 32 states, multiple US territories and Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMA).

US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said: “The Administration is helping states and territories repair and rebuild their infrastructure in the wake of last year’s hurricanes and other disasters across the country.”

The FHWA’s ER programme is designed to provide necessary funding to the states, territories and FLMAs to reconstruct and rehabilitate damaged highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or other emergency situations.

“We stand with all those who have been impacted by a natural disaster from the time of the emergency and until all repairs are completed.”

The funds will also be used to arrange detours on damaged roads, as well as replace guardrails and other damaged safety devices.

FHWA acting administrator Brandye Hendrickson said: “We stand with all those who have been impacted by a natural disaster from the time of the emergency and until all repairs are completed.

“The funding announced today will serve the travelling public by reimbursing local communities that have made repairs to damaged critical surface transportation infrastructure.”

Under the $1bn funding, around $263.7m will be used to rehabilitate the damages caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

It includes $75m funding for Texas, which was affected by Hurricane Harvey; $97m for Florida to repair the damages caused by Hurricane Irma; and $70m for Puerto Rico to reconstruct the damages caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.