Illinois gets $7.7 million in federal storm-repair aid

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Updated: January 10, 2012 7:26PM

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois is getting more than $7.7 million to help cover the costs of repairing roads and bridges damaged by last year’s flooding and windstorms.

Gov. Pat Quinn and Sen. Dick Durbin announced Monday that the money will be coming from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s emergency-relief funds.

The Illinois Department of Transportation will dole out more than $4.7 million to help northwest Illinois communities affected last July by strong wind and rains that totaled more than 12 inches. That’s meant to defray costs of repairing drainage and roadway washouts, in addition to slope failures.

Southern Illinois communities affected by widespread heavy rain and flooding last spring largely along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers will get roughly $3 million.