According to a department press release, the quick-release emergency funds, funneled through the Federal Highway Administration, will be used to reimburse counties for the cost of repairs necessary to allow the roads and bridges to resume handling their normal amount of traffic.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation estimates the total damage amounted to about $11 million, according to the release.
"The aftermath of Hurricane Irene has left New Jersey residents with a massive cleanup job and limited mobility because of damaged roads and bridges," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. "This emergency relief funding will help the state make repairs that will restore critical routes to help communities get back up and running."