No Road Fix Grants for Washington Twp. in $81M State Aid Package

Despite more than $81 million in local aid grants statewide to help improve road and sidewalk infrastructure, Washington Township’s application for aid was denied.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation announced this week that 391 local aid grants were awarded to “help municipalities advance a variety of transportation projects without burdening local property taxpayers,” according to a statement released by the DOT.

Washington Township applied for a $200,000 grant to help with road resurfacing improvements along East Valley Brook Road, according to administrator Andrew Coppola, but was not awarded the grant.

Some 30 Morris County towns did receive grants under the package, however, amounting to $5,049,145, the DOT said.

Nearby, Chester Borough and Chester Township received a combined $280,000 in grants, while Mendham Borough and Mendham Township received a combined $440,000.

Earlier this year, while completing the budget process, the Washington Township Committee set aside $720,000 for road improvements in 2014. That money will go toward a complete reconstruction of a portion of Naughright Road, portions of Black River Road and Hacklebarney Road.

Another seven miles of roadway in the township will receive the oil and chip treatment with the budget money.

Did Washington Township get overlooked by the state? Should the town have received the $200,000 for the East Valley Brook Road project?