The U.S. Dept. of Transportation is providing $679 million to help 28 states and Puerto Rico repair roads and bridges damaged by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, Midwest floods and earlier storms. DOT Secretary Mary Peters announced the action during an Oct. 23 visit to hurricane-battered Galveston, Texas. Of the total, California receives $119 million; Texas, $96.5 million; Loui-siana, $80.6 million; Oklahoma, $36.2 million; and Arizona, $26.7 million.

A spending bill enacted on Sept. 30 includes $850 million for the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency-relief program. FHWA reimburses states for disaster-related costs they incur. The $679 million largely covers the backlog of states’ emergency-aid requests that they can obligate now, says FHWA spokesman Ian Grossman.