NJDOT commits to an improved,
safe infrastruture through project
awards, innovative technology and grants

NJDOT continued its commitment to improved safety for the state’s citizens, whether driving, riding or walking, with a three-fold program of project awards, innovative technology and grants.

The Fiscal Year 2007 construction program has project awards totaling $719 million. Capital Program Management awarded 76 projects valued at $597.6 million, while Operations and Maintenance awarded 57 projects valued at $121.5 million.

These projects represent a distribution of various project sizes and designs that cover the state’s 21 counties -- from Sussex in the north to Cape May in the south, to Monmouth in the east and to Gloucester in the west.

Emergency projects, such as the Route 56 Rainbow Lake Dam and Bridge in Salem County, comprise the 47 Pipeline Three Program projects that are smaller in nature, are deliverable in about a year, and have limited right of way and utility involvement.

There are 30 in-house design projects with a total construction value of more than $200 million, including the $40 million I-287 Stelton Road project in Middlesex County, which is the largest project designed by NJDOT.

Giving drivers safe roads and bridges is good, but keeping them informed of hazardous emergency situations and time-consuming traffic tie-ups as they drive is priceless.

Examples of communicating road conditions to the traveling public are the ASTI Transportation System and the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) project, which display real time traffic and roadway information to drivers that is clear, concise and easy to understand. NJDOT’s goal is to develop an interoperable systems engineering approach to all levels of projects in the state by gathering, dispersing and documentating of information.

There are those New Jersey citizens who walk, especially schoolchildren. NJDOT will award 29 communities $4.15 million in Fiscal Year 2007 Safe Routes to School Grants. The goal of the program is to increase pedestrian safety awareness, to reduce traffic and to improve air quality.