Barbara Lee Facilitating Federal Response to Freeway Collapse
(Oakland, CA) – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) reported that she has been in contact with federal, state and local authorities to ensure that federal resources are available to deal with the closure of the I-580 and I-880 following a fire and collapse of a section of one of the freeways over the weekend.
“Everyone is committed to making sure that the disruptions to local commuters are as short and as painless as possible. My office is working with federal, state and local agencies to ensure that they have the full support of the federal government to make the necessary repairs to our local freeways,” said Lee. “We have been in ongoing contact with CalTrans, the Department of Transportation, local transit operators as well as the Congressional committees that oversee transportation funding, and we aim to make sure that the federal response to this accident is robust and timely.”
Lee participated Sunday in a conference call featuring Dale Bonner, California State Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency and Commissioner Mike Brown from the California Highway Patrol as well as representatives from BART and AC Transit. Lee’s office has also been coordinating with the office of Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher (D-Walnut Creek), who serves on the House Committee on Transportation, and Lee spoke with Congressman Jerry McNerny (D-Livermore), who also serves on the committee, on Sunday.
Federal Highway Administration inspectors are examining the site of the collapse today to determine whether reconstruction efforts will be eligible for federal funds, a determination that is considered likely and should be made today. The Governor’s office has requested a waiver to make federal money available immediately, as opposed to reimbursing the state later.
Authorities are still waiting for reports from engineers on the degree of damage sustained by the I-880, both from the fire and from the collapse of the I-580 above. If the section of I-880 impacted by the fire and the collapse is determined not to be structurally sound, it is likely that the cost of repairs will exceed the $100 million cap on federal reimbursement per state emergency, a situation Lee says would require Congressional intervention.
“It is possible that the repair costs will exceed the regular federal emergency reimbursement, in which case, Congress would need to act, and we are monitoring the situation closely and prepared to take whatever action is necessary to ensure that the funds are available, and commuters lives can be returned to normal as soon as possible,” said Lee.
Earlier today, Lee’s office sent an email alert to constituents, providing information on alternative routes and public transportation options.
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