UPPER FREEHOLD — Officials from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) have announced that Upper Freehold Township will be the recipient of a $16,079 grant for a completed repair project on Walnford Road.
The grant being awarded to Upper Freehold is one of 10 Local Aid Infrastructure Fund (LAIF) grants totaling $1.1 million to be used for emergency road repairs and one of three Hurricane Irene-related grants, totaling $416,079.
“These grants are among hundreds distributed by this administration every year to help local and county governments advance essential projects without burdening local property taxpayers,” New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno said in a press release.
The Upper Freehold project, which was to repair the Walnford Road drainage system that was damaged by Hurricane Irene in 2011, was completed in 2012. According to Township Administrator Dianne Kelly, the repairs cost the municipality $61,000.
According to state officials, LAIF grants are awarded to support unexpected expenses a municipality faces in a given year.
An additional $5.7 million was awarded to 25 other municipalities as part of the federally funded Safe Routes to School grant, which covers repairs for sidewalks, intersections and other road improvements in order to provide a safe path for students to walk or ride their bicycle to school.
“Local aid grants are funneling $380 million in state and federal funds to support worthy local projects and planning initiatives in the current fiscal year,” Guadagno said.
During the 2011 storm, Upper Freehold Township officials declared a state of emergency after flooding damaged a number of locations throughout the township.
As a result of the municipality’s hardships and its need for federal aid to cover various repair projects post-Irene, the township was able to receive up to 75 percent in reimbursement funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Kelly said the remainder of the project’s costs will be covered by the DOT grant that was announced on Jan. 30.
“This award was a welcome influx of money … the award from the state basically covers the remaining 25 percent of the cost,” the administrator said. “We are very grateful to the state and to FEMA for assisting us with this project.” — Contact Andrew Martins at [email protected].