Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $122 million investment in infrastructure projects across more than 30 rural Florida counties, aimed at improving roads, bridges, and drainage systems, with a significant portion allocated to areas affected by recent hurricanes.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday that Florida is investing $122 million in infrastructure projects aimed at bolstering rural communities across the state. The funding, part of two state programs, will support road repairs, resurfacing, and other improvements in more than 30 small counties.

The money will be distributed through the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) and Small County Resurfacing Assistance Program (SCRAP), which provide financial support to small county governments for critical projects such as bridge rehabilitation, road paving, and improving drainage systems to prevent flooding.

“We have over 23 million people now in the state of Florida. We have industries that really rely on us continuing to modernize and taking care of our infrastructure, whether it’s agriculture, whether it’s trucking, whether it’s shipping, we need to do this, and Florida’s rural communities are a big part of that in terms of how the economy functions,” DeSantis said.

Among the counties receiving portions of the funds are Bradford County, which will receive $4.25 million, Levy County with $2.5 million, and Suwannee County, allocated $3.6 million. Putnam County will receive $9.12 million, the largest single award.

The funding will be used to address various infrastructure needs. In Levy County the money will be used to widen and resurface County Road 346, a route used for both local traffic and agricultural transport. In Columbia County, funds will go toward resurfacing Southwest Burley Road, a project that will benefit local residents and improve regional connectivity.

The announcement comes as rural communities in the state continue to recover from the impacts of recent hurricanes, including Hurricanes Idalia and Debbie. Approximately $38 million of the $122 million will be directed to counties in the Big Bend region that were hit hardest by these storms in order to improve roads and bridges that serve as evacuation routes and emergency response corridors.

FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue, who joined the governor at the event, noted the importance of maintaining rural infrastructure for both economic and emergency management purposes.

“These investments are truly tremendous,” he said. “I know they’re going to be very impactful for these rural counties, and we’re excited to roll those out.”