Two Morris County towns to receive Local Freight Impact Fund grant
Program funds improvements to heavy truck routes on local roads
NEW JERSEY – The Murphy Administration Wednesday announced $30.1 million in FY24 Local Freight Impact Fund grants that help counties and municipalities promote the safe movement of large truck traffic.
“New Jersey provides a vital link in our regional and national economies with the volume of goods that move through our seaports, airports, rail yards and highways,” NJDOT Acting Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. “The Local Freight Impact Fund provides counties and municipalities with funding to make necessary improvements to local roads and bridges that carry commercial truck traffic to ensure our infrastructure remains safe, efficient and equitable.”
The Local Freight Impact Fund is a competitive program that was created as part of the Transportation Trust Fund reauthorization in October 2016. NJDOT received 55 grant applications for the FY24 Local Freight Impact Fund Program, of which 20 grants are being awarded. Those grants are being distributed to 15 municipalities and five counties.
Of the 20 projects, there are 15 pavement preservation projects, two pedestrian safety projects, one truck safety and mobility project, one bridge preservation project and one project is new construction.
There were only two towns in Northwest New Jersey that received a grant and they were in Morris County.
- East Hanover Township received a $850,000 grant for the Farinella Drive Freight Safety Roadway Improvements.
- Mount Olive Township received $500,000 for the Continental Drive Improvements.
To view a full list of project awards, click here.
The program helps New Jersey’s counties and municipalities fund projects that emphasize and enhance the safe movement of large truck traffic, renew aging structures that carry large truck traffic, promote economic development, and support new transportation opportunities. Under the program, projects that all into five categories are eligible for funding: bridge preservation, new construction, pavement preservation, truck safety and mobility, and pedestrian safety.
The grants are administered by the NJDOT Division of Local Aid and Economic Development. NJDOT staff evaluate projects using a variety of criteria including existing conditions, overall traffic volume, percentage of large truck traffic, crash frequency, and connectivity to freight nodes, among others.
