The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) announced 47 Local Bridge, Future Needs grants totaling $47.3 million to help counties maintain local bridges in a state of good repair. These are the largest bridge grant awards in New Jersey history, almost doubling the amount of funds previously provided to counties across the state.

“The Murphy Administration has prioritized improving our state's infrastructure at all levels,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “These state funds are vital for supporting county-owned infrastructure, over which thousands of motorists travel daily.”

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.

Under the Local Bridges, Future Needs program, every county receives $1 million and the additional funding is allotted 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. For a full list of county allotments and project awards, visit state.nj.us/transportation/about/pdf/FY18_LBFN_Application_Award_List.pdf.

The 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. Each year, 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.