Senator Vin Gopal applauds Governor Phil Murphy for allocating $47.3 million in grant funding to maintain county bridges.
Local Bridges, Future Needs (LBFN) is a $47.3 million program funded through the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF), which provides funding for each of New Jersey’s 21 counties for the improvement of county bridges. The recent gas tax increase as part of the TTF renewal made it possible to increase grants in Fiscal Year 2018 to $47.3 million from $25 million in prior years. These are the largest bridge grant awards in New Jersey history, almost doubling the amount of funds previously provided to counties across the state.
“In a state with millions of commuters and vacationers, it is essential that we prioritize infrastructure projects so that drivers can travel safely and efficiently throughout the Garden State,” said Senator Vin Gopal.
“This essential funding will allow counties throughout the state to perform routine maintenance on bridges. If we allow our bridges to deteriorate to the point that they are no longer navigable, then we have failed. By providing funding to perform routine maintenance, we can allow continued access to our bridges while ensuring safety standards are met and minor repairs are addressed.”
Monmouth County received a total of $6,068,015 in grant funding. Funded projects include: the reconstruction of Bridge on Remsen(s) Mill Road over Shark River Brook in Neptune Township and Wall Township; the reconstruction of Bridge on Holmes Mill Road over Miry Run in Upper Freehold Township; the reconstruction of Bridge on Fourth Street/Kennedy Way over Waackaack Creek in Hazlet Township and Keansburg Borough; and the reconstruction of Bridge on CR 12A (Navesink River Road) over McClee’s Creek in Middletown Township.
Under the Local Bridges, Future Needs program, every county receives $1 million and the additional funding is distributed based on a formula taking into account the total deck area in the county, and the amount of deck area in poor condition in the county. As part of the Departments Statewide Capital Investment Strategy, the grants are intended to help counties focus on the bridges under their jurisdiction with the greatest structural deficiencies.
The Local Bridges, Future Needs grants are administered by the NJDOT Divisions of Local Aid and Economic Development and evaluated by the Bureau of Structural Engineering, and are funded through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund. Local Aid grants represent a significant portion of Local System Support, which also includes local lead projects, regional planning and project development, and transportation enhancement projects.