Engineers taking their first close look at the charred underside of Interstate 78 today found the highway severely damaged by a raging trash fire, but with a few lanes that may be strong enough to open to traffic in a few weeks.

As of late, Welch has been pushing for Congress to pass legislation allowing Vermont to receive federal funding to repair highways and roads damaged by Tropical Storm Irene.

And the President tried to mend political fences in California by offering up a package of new economic incentives that would free Federal money to repair interstate highways damaged in the 1989 earthquake in the San Francisco area.

Roads were significantly affected, with six roads and the national highway damaged in Cortés Department.

State officials said last week that the rebuilding of the damaged highways should be done within a year, an estimate many residents here and in San Francisco have said is ambitious, considering that repairs to highways damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake in the San Francisco Bay area are continuing.

Rings of Steel As the repairs proceed, state engineers are redesigning the sections of highway damaged in Monday's quake.

Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena visited Southern California today and released an initial allocation of $5 million in emergency funds to the state to begin restoration of highways and bridges damaged by the flood.

The surrounding 40-acre area, much of it opened up after highways damaged in the 1989 earthquake were demolished, is to become San Francisco's most densely populated neighborhood, based on a planning model known as Vancouverism.

About $600 million was earmarked for emergency repairs to highways and road damaged by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.