(BIVN) – $61 million in federal funds to repair the lava-inundated Highway 137, Pohoiki Road, Leilani Avenue, Hinalo Street, Lauone Street, Honuaula Street, and Lighthouse Road will soon be available to the County of Hawaiʻi, senators say.

On Tuesday, Sen. Mazie Hirono and Sen. Brian Schatz announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded the county $61,434,523.20 to repair roads damaged during the 2018 Kilauea eruption.

The Hawai‘i County Department of Public Works is expected to make repairs to additional roads as necessary. FEMA and the county “are engaged in additional discussions with the community to determine which other roads will be repaired using these funds,” Senator Hirono said.

“As we approach the two year anniversary of the 2018 Kilauea eruption, this federal funding will support ongoing recovery efforts on Hawaii Island,” Sen. Hirono said in a written statement. “Even as we confront the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, I will continue to advocate for federal assistance that will help those impacted by the eruption work to rebuild their lives and communities.”

“Hawai‘i Island is still recovering from the eruption of Kilauea, and this new federal funding will be a big help,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “I will continue fighting for federal resources to assist in our state’s recovery efforts.”