Work Resumes on Construction and Local Aid Projects

(Trenton) - Work on scores of transportation and transit construction projects resumed today after a one-day funding-related work stoppage.

The Legislature’s Joint Budget Oversight Committee authorization yesterday of a Transportation Trust Fund Authority bonding and refinancing plan paved the way for the resumption of NJDOT and NJ TRANSIT active or imminent construction projects, as well as design, engineering and consulting work associated with those projects.

The authorization also allows NJDOT to resume processing payments to local governments for approved Local Aid transportation projects.

“All active construction and Local Aid projects are moving forward, as well as design and engineering work connected to active construction jobs, imminent State Of Good Repair projects and those projects that promote public safety,” Transportation Commissioner James Simpson said.

Projects that rely fully on federal funding were not impacted by the work stoppage.

The stoppage remains in place for NJDOT and NJ TRANSIT projects that are currently in the planning and development phase, which is the beginning of the project delivery pipeline.

“We are taking the prudent step of extending the hold on early planning and design work at least until the bond sale and refinancing plan is executed,” Simpson said. “We will use this time to conduct a cost-benefit review of each of these proposals.”

State-funded projects were halted Monday because Transportation Trust Fund resources to pay for the projects had reached critically low levels due to delay in Joint Budget Oversight Committee approval for the bonding and refinancing proposal.

Lists of each NJDOT engineering support contract for which the stoppage has been lifted, and of each of the NJ TRANSIT projects that have resumed, follows:

NJDOT Engineering Support Contracts

NJ TRANSIT Projects