State Grant Enables Improvements to Part of Brinkerhoff

Fort Lee has received a grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) for improvements to Brinkerhoff Avenue, according to borough officials.

But the $146,500 grant from the NJDOT’s Division of Local Aid and Economic Development falls short of what the borough needs to make needed repairs to the entire road.

“They gave us half the money we wanted to have,” said borough administrator Peggy Thomas last week. “So we are doing this project; we are going to go from 14th Street [from the border of Palisades Park] to about Inwood Terrace. We’re going to do the side work, the curbs and the paving.”

Borough clerk Neil Grant said that’s all the grant will enable the borough to get done without having to pay any money out.

“That doesn’t mean [the borough] can’t apply again for an additional grant at another time to try and get the rest of the street done,” Grant said. “They might have to apply for another grant down the road to get the whole thing done.”

Boswell Engineering is preparing the specifications before going out to bid on the project, officials said.

“Obviously when bids go out, you could conceivably have a little more done or a little less done just depending on what bids come in,” Grant said. “If they put out a bid for $98,000, you’ll have money to do more. If they put out a bid for right on the button, you can just get done what you can get done.”