The Town of Leland has been awarded a $950,000 grant through the North Carolina Emergency Management Transportation Infrastructure Resiliency Fund from the N.C. Department of Public Safety. The money will fund the Leland Resilient Routes Project to identify critical routes within and surrounding Town limits.
Leland is susceptible to coastal hazards like natural disasters, excess flooding, and storm surge. During Hurricane Florence, parts of Leland were isolated due to flooded roadways, including NCDOT identified evacuation routes. With climate change and coastal hazards increasing, the Town is taking steps to become more resilient to prosper for years to come.
Routes identified through the Leland Resilient Routes Project could include evacuation routes or roadways owned by NCDOT, the Town, or private ownership. The routes will be analyzed to determine their resiliency to coastal hazards such as flooding and storm surge. For routes that prove vulnerable to coastal hazards, potential solutions will be identified.
“We look forward to having the information required to make decisions on how to sustainably mitigate potential transportation vulnerabilities, as our transportation infrastructure is vital for emergency services, evacuations, and the movement of supplies in a natural disaster,” Engineering Technician II Adrianna Weber said.
The data provided from the Leland Resilient Routes Project is critical to facilitating transportation resiliency from coastal hazards in our fast-growing community. The assessments will allow the Town to update its Capital Improvement Plans, further allowing staff to prioritize, budget, plan, and implement projects efficiently.
Through the Town’s participation in the North Carolina Resilient Coastal Communities Program, a project was identified to improve resilience to critical transportation routes. Leland 2045 also emphasizes growth in a resilient manner.
Learn more about grants the Town has applied for and been awarded.
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