ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti announced July 31 the release of $161.25 million in fiscal year 2021 County Aid grants to help make infrastructure improvements on the local level. The grants are funded through the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund. Essex County will receive $9,738,130.
“County Aid is just one of many programs that demonstrate the Murphy administration’s commitment to our communities by improving infrastructure throughout New Jersey at every level of government,” Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. “County Aid provides millions of dollars to local governments to help ensure their roads and bridges are maintained in a state of good repair without burdening local property taxpayers.”
The state’s 21 counties will share a total of $161.25 million through the County Aid program that will help maintain local roads and bridges in a state of good repair for the thousands of motorists that count on them each day.
County Aid funds are appropriated annually for the improvement of public roads and bridges under county jurisdiction. County Aid funds are apportioned based on population and road mileage in each county, and each county selects the projects that receive funding. Counties are required to submit eligible projects, identified in the county’s annual Transportation Program, to NJDOT for approval prior to Dec. 1, 2020. Projects may be improvements to public roads and bridges under county jurisdiction, or other transportation-related work. Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed into law a new schedule for County Aid in which NJDOT must inform counties of their allotments for the current fiscal year by July 31 to help counties better plan future projects.