The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) recently announced it awarded two counties and 29 municipalities $30.1 million in Local Freight Impact Fund grants to improve the safe movement of large truck traffic.
“Having safe truck routes to efficiently move goods to and from New Jersey’s seaports, airports, warehouses, and rail yards is integral to our state and regional economy,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “Our roads and bridges carry a tremendous amount of commercial truck traffic every day, and we are making the investments necessary to ensure the safety of our customers and communities alike.”
The competitive Local Freight Impact Fund program received 41 applications for fiscal year 2021, requesting more than $45 million, and 33 grants were awarded. The two counties receiving grants were awarded two each.
The program helps fund projects that emphasize and enhance the safe movement of large truck traffic. This includes new transportation opportunities without the need for additional property taxes, economic development, and renewing aging infrastructure that carries large truck traffic.
Of the projects, two were bridge preservation projects, two were truck safety and mobility projects, and 29 were pavement preservation projects.
The state’s funding will leverage an additional $21.4 million from project sponsors.