$200 million for transit and highways in South Jersey

South Jersey transportation projects, from the massive to the minuscule, received more than $200 million in the state's capital budget for the fiscal year that began Thursday.

Burlington County will get $91 million to aid nine projects, Camden County will receive $51.7 million for 13 projects, and Gloucester County was funded $17.6 million for nine projects.

In addition, the River Line - the $1 billion, 34-mile light-rail line that runs between Camden and Trenton - was allocated $53.4 million for debt-service payments and $1.1 million for vehicle repairs, diesel engine overhauls, and other equipment needs.

The transportation projects range from obtaining lift-equipped buses for the elderly and handicapped to a $37.2 million, long-planned effort to rebuild the tangled interchange of I-295, I-76, and Route 42 near Bellmawr.

The direct connection of I-295, which will enter its final stage after the preliminary design phase ends this summer, is one of New Jersey's most important projects, said Joe Dee, a Department of Transportation spokesman.

More than 225,000 motorists a day use I-295, I-76, and Route 42 in that area, Dee said. "It is a key connection to the entire transportation system of South Jersey," he said.

The entangled roadway serves interstate travelers and Shore-bound motorists as well as local commuters, Dee said. The current infrastructure forces motorists to exit I-295 and merge onto I-76/Route 42, causing vehicles to slow down and speed up again.

"It's a nightmare for motorists and road engineers, who don't like travel that alters speeds," Dee said.

New Jersey authorities say they believe the project also will fuel economic growth in the state, he said.

Unlike New Jersey's overall budget, which is almost 9 percent smaller than last year's, the transportation capital budget remained almost the same.

The $3.5 billion transportation capital program for the fiscal year is designed to repair and expand highways, fix bridges, improve railroads, and buy new buses.

The transportation spending plan relies heavily on the state's endangered Transportation Trust Fund. By mid-2011, all of the $895 million that flows to the fund from gasoline taxes, tolls, and sales taxes will be required just to pay the debt on previously borrowed money. No money will be available for transportation.

If the fund runs out, the state would be disqualified from federal matching transportation dollars, which provide about half of its transportation funding.

So state officials face the unpalatable choice of borrowing even more money next year or raising taxes or tolls to provide transportation revenue.

This year, however, the money continues to flow in South Jersey.

Inquirer staff writer Elisa Lala contributed to this article.