Lautenberg Rails Against Bill To Cut Funds for Routes 17, 46 Congestion Abatement

The House of Representatives approved a bill last week that could result in the loss of $50 million in funding for major infrastructure and transportation projects that were planned around the state, including projects in Bergen County. 

The bill is now in the Senate for review. 

“The House Republican proposal would literally snatch away grants that keep NJ moving and growing,” said Sen. Frank Lautenberg.  “These cuts to transportation and infrastructure projects in New Jersey would set our communities back and lead to more people on the unemployment line.”

Four New Jersey projects that have already been awarded federal grants would lose their funding. These funds were awarded by the Department of Transportation on a competitive basis. Two of the projects would have addressed transportation issues in Bergen County.

One project, which was intended to reduce traffic congestion in Bergen County, would lose its entire $10 million funding. It would have focused on Rt. 17 and Rt. 46, among several other highways in the state. The NJDOT planned on installing a new "intelligent" signaling program, with a particular focus on Rt. 17 and Rt. 46, among several other highways in the state. In October, when the funding was announced, Lautenberg called the improved technology "critical" to relieving congestion on the heavily-traveled corridors. Better technology, he said, would prevent the region "from becoming completely gridlocked".

The measure would also cut funding for the proposed Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River.  The rail bridge would help improve reliability of NJ Transit trains into Secaucus at a cost of $38.5 million.