New Jersey announces over $47 million in grants for bridge repairs

July 31, 2023

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Bridges across New Jersey will soon be getting a facelift thanks to over $47 million in grant funding recently announced by the state’s Department of Transportation.

On July 27, NJDOT announced that 42 Local Bridges Fund grants had been awarded across the state. According to the department, each of the state’s 21 counties received a minimum of $1 million in grants, with additional funding based on the deck area of the bridges in need of repair. In total, $47.3 million was awarded to “help counties maintain local bridges in a state of good repair.”

“Each year, Local Aid grants represent a significant portion of the Department of Transportation’s Local System Support, which also includes Municipal Aid, local lead projects, regional planning and project development, and transportation alternatives projects,” NJDOT said in a statement.

Part of New Jersey’s State Aid Program, the Local Bridges Fund “provides funds for preventive maintenance, rehabilitation, and selective replacement of county bridges.” Funding for the program comes from the state’s Transportation Trust Fund.

Grants awarded through the program are administered by the NJDOT Division of Local Aid and Economic Development and evaluated by the Department’s Division of Bridge Engineering and Infrastructure Management. According to the department, the grants focus on the “repair, reconstruction, and replacement of bridges with the greatest structural deficiencies.”

NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti says that funding from the grants – along with support from Gov. Phil Murphy – reflects the state’s commitment to making improvements for all residents of the Garden State.

“The Murphy Administration is committed to improving the quality of life in New Jersey, and the Local Bridge Fund program does that as part of NJDOT’s Commitment to Communities,” Gutierrez-Scaccetti said in a statement. “By providing grants to improve county-owned bridges throughout the state, we are helping local governments make critical infrastructure investments that improve the reliability of our statewide transportation network without having to impact local property taxes.”

A full list of county allotments and project awards for 2023 can be found here. LL