North Reading to Receive Almost $500K in Road Funds

North Reading will receive almost $500,000 from the state for road projects in the 2012 fiscal year.

Rep. Bradley H. Jones Jr., R-North Reading, announced on Friday that North Reading will receive approximately $477,612 in Chapter 90 state transportation funding for fiscal year 2012.

The dollar figures still need to be finalized, but they are expected to be close to that amount, said Peter Lorenz, a spokesman for Jones.

The money is expected to create construction jobs and improve transportation and public safety, with the ultimate aim of encouraging long-term economic development, Jones said in a statement.

“There is no doubt the town of North Reading will put this money to good use,” Jones said. “In a time where local aid is being slashed, every little bit helps, and this money will go a long way in helping to repair roads and bridges in need.”

The Chapter 90 funds came from a pool of $200 million to be used during the course of the 2012 fiscal year. According to Jones' office, the 2012 figure is an increase of $45 million from the previous three years.

The Chapter 90 program provides reimbursement to municipalities for road and bridge expenditures through the issuance of bonds. Funds may also be used for engineering services related to highway transportation enhancement, as well as the purchase of road building machinery and equipment.

Funding for Chapter 90 is allocated using a formula based upon community road miles, population numbers and employment, according to Jones' office.

The funding comes at a time when the nation's infrastructure — particularly roads and bridges — is coming under increased scrutiny. A study released last week by the group Transportation for America said 11.5 percent of the nearly 600,000 highway bridges in the United States were "structurally deficient," requiring significant maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement.

None of the six bridges in North Reading identified in the study were listed as being structurally deficient.