Union County Chairman Bruce Bergen was interviewed by two local media outlets regarding the gasoline tax, the Transportation Trust Fund and how it might impact local Union County road projects.
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Lawmakers yet to come up with plan on how to contend with now-stalled road projects
Millions in transportation funding on hold
On Thursday, Gov. Chris Christie ordered New Jersey officials to plan for a shutdown of state road projects. This, after democratic lawmakers failed to agree with him on how to address the state transportation fund’s borrowing authority, which expired Friday.
So what does that mean for people here in the Garden State?
Without a resolution, county road resurfacing and reconstruction on bridges like Springfield’s Mountain Avenue Bridge would be halted.
“This one bridge is funded $1 million by the transportation trust fund and $1 million from the county, so we’re talking $2 million here that will be put on hold indefinitely,” said Union County Freeholder Chairman Bruce Bergen.
Overall, Union County has $25 million in funding that will cease to have a purpose, he explained.
Projects in the “design phase” would also be halted, including three road resurfacing projects in Union County totaling roughly 60 miles.
“It’s absolutely urgent. Not only to the government but how about the workers that think Wednesday of this week they’re going to be coming to work on a project, and all of a sudden, it’s canceled and now they’re laid off,” Bergen said. “That’s just an economic disaster.”
In an effort to not stall projects, Sen. Stephen Sweeney says he is trying to come up with a compromise so both sides can reach a deal.
The next senate session is scheduled for July 11.