Matawan Mayor Joseph Altomonte announced that Matawan will receive a $500,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) to help fund the Lake Lefferts bridge and dam reconstruction project.
“I am happy to announce we have secured $500,000 grant from the state with the help of Gov. Phil Murphy’s Office. … To be clear, this is a grant we do not have to pay back and will not raise taxes for residents,” Altomonte said. “This grant is to be used strictly for the Lake Lefferts’ dam, with subtle hints of a strong possibility of additional grant funding for Lake Matawan.”
Altomonte announced the receipt of the grant during the Dec. 18 meeting of the Borough Council.
The funds are provided through the DOT’s Local Aid Infrastructure Fund Program, according to a statement from the department.
“I have been saying since day one [since] I have been in office that I would work very hard to minimize the financial impact to our community for the dam projects. At this point, I have reduced our initial burden from approximately $8 million to $3.5 million on the dam projects,” Altomonte said. “I will not stop fighting until I get it to zero.”
Altomonte said Matawan officials have been seeking to fund repairs for the Lake Lefferts bridge and dam since the 1980s.
The Transportation Trust Fund provides funding to communities throughout New Jersey through grant programs that help local governments advance transportation projects without burdening local property taxpayers, according to the DOT.
Altomonte said Matawan will have immediate access to the grant once a construction date for the Lake Lefferts project has been determined.