Emergency Relief (ER) Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 20.271
- Agency
-
Federal Highway Administration
Department of Transportation
- Grant awards
- 1,064 $1,820,019,436 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Block Grant
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 69-0500-0-1-401
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration is distributing Emergency Relief Program funds to State Departments of Transportation for repair and reconstruction of Federal-aid highways and roads on Federal lands damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic failures, with the most recent award issued on August 31, 2026 (CFDA 20.271).
The program has experienced sharply accelerating award volume, growing from 37 awards in 2022 to 206 awards through August 2026, with 497 awards distributed in 2025 alone. This acceleration reflects recent major disaster events including Hurricane Helene. Since 2011, the program has obligated $1.82 billion in federal dollars across 1,064 total awards, with non-federal cost-share adding $1.02 billion in recipient contributions. Grant awards are predominantly Project Grants (100% of awards); the portfolio contains negligible shares of Formula and Block Grant assistance.
Funded activities include embankment stabilization and repair, slope remediation using soil nailing and micropile systems, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, culvert replacement, pavement resurfacing and restoration, drainage system repair, and force-account emergency repairs. Recent awards span multiple states and reflect damage from tropical cyclones and severe weather. Representative recent awards include $8.45 million to North Carolina for bridge replacement on NC 197 in Buncombe County (awarded June 25, 2026), $6.56 million to North Carolina for bridge replacement on US 70 in McDowell County (June 29, 2026), and $5.74 million to North Carolina for bridge replacement on US 221 in McDowell County (June 24, 2026). Other recent awards range from under $12 thousand for minor shoulder washout repairs to $5.25 million for structural installation on county roads in South Dakota.
Federal funding derives from permanent authorization of $100 million per year in contract authority from the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund, with funds exempt from Federal-aid highway obligation limitations. States must file a notice of intent with the FHWA Division Office in their state and submit formal applications within two calendar years of a qualifying disaster event, including comprehensive project lists and repair cost estimates. Individual states are the primary eligible applicant category and administrative recipient of ER funding. No open grant opportunity was evident in the source material; ER funding operates as a standing statutory authorization responsive to declared disasters rather than competitive solicitation.
Objective and description
- Objective
Funding under this program is to aid Federal, State and local highway agencies with unusually heavy expenses of repairing serious damage to Federal-aid highways and roads on Federal lands resulting from natural disasters or catastrophic failures fro
- Description
Congress authorized the ER Program in Title 23, United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 125, to provide funds from the Highway Trust Fund for the repair or reconstruction of Federal-aid highways and of roads on Federal lands that suffered serious damage from natural disasters or catastrophic failures from external causes. ER funding supplements resources from States, localities and other Federal agencies to help in the repair of facilities damaged by eligible events.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
State Departments of Transportation (DOTs)
- Uses of assistance
See program notice of funding.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
ER funds are funded by a permanent authorization of $100 million per year in contract authority from the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund. Funds are exempt from the Federal-aid highway obligation limitation. [23 U.S.C. 125(c)]
How to apply
- Award procedure
It is the responsibility of individual States to request ER funds for assistance in the cost of necessary repair of Federal-aid highways damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic failures. A notice of intent to request ER funds filed by the State Department of Transportation with the FHWA Division Office located in the State will initiate the ER application process. States are required to submit an application for ER funding to FHWA within two calendar years of the date of the disaster. The application must include a comprehensive list of all eligible project sites and repair costs.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 1,064 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation North Carolina Department | $1,015,327,011 | 56% |
| 2 | Department Of Transportation California | $289,176,942 | 16% |
| 3 | Maryland Department Of Transportation | $108,513,520 | 6% |
| 4 | State Of Florida Department Of Transportation | $90,384,372 | 5% |
| 5 | Puerto Rico Highway & Transportation Authority | $40,429,777 | 2% |
| 6 | Transportation, Vermont Agency Of | $35,798,500 | 2% |
| 7 | Wyoming Department Of Transportation | $33,366,899 | 2% |
| 8 | Wvdot Division Of Highways | $25,675,655 | 1% |
| 9 | Department Of Transportation Connecticut | $25,000,000 | 1% |
| 10 | Oregon Department Of Transportation | $23,308,991 | 1% |
10 of 38 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $1,652,100,180 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 20.271?
Assistance Listing 20.271 is Emergency Relief (ER) Program, a federal grant program run by Federal Highway Administration (Department of Transportation).
What is the CFDA number for Emergency Relief (ER) Program?
Its CFDA number is 20.271: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 20.271 awarded?
1,064 grant awards under 20.271 have obligated $1,820,019,436 in federal funds to 38 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 20.271?
The recipients obligated the most under Emergency Relief (ER) Program are Transportation North Carolina Department ($1,015,327,011), Department Of Transportation California ($289,176,942) and Maryland Department Of Transportation ($108,513,520).
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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