WASHINGTON, DC — Washington state transportation officials are in line to receive $35 million for repairs to stretches of Highway 530 damaged by the March 22 Oso mudslide.
The U.S. Department of Transportation made the announcement Friday.
The money stems from a disaster declaration President Barack Obama issued in April. The state Department of Transportation requested the money through an emergency program with the Federal Highway Administration.
The mudslide struck at 10:37 a.m. on a Saturday morning, killing 43 people and covering the highway between Darrington and Arlington.
The state transportation department is paying a contractor more than $20 million to rebuild the highway, at a higher elevation to avoid increased flood risks that resulted from the slide. The new stretch of highway is slated for completion by the end of October.
Other multimillion-dollar state transportation contracts have paid to clear debris from the area, and to operate temporary roads using flaggers and pilot cars.
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