N.J. Stat. tit. 27, ch. 9

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-1 Construction of state highway routes by counties; consent required

The board of chosen freeholders of any county in which a state highway route has or shall have been laid out by the state highway commissioner may, with the consent of the commissioner, construct and improve the whole or any part of the highway within the county. The construction and improvement shall be in accordance with plans and specifications submitted by the board of chosen freeholders and approved by the commissioner, and shall be conducted by the board of chosen freeholders at all times subject to the inspection of the commissioner. A contract for the construction or improvement of a highway made by a county under this section and sections 27:9-2 to 27:9-5 of this title shall not be effective until approved by the commissioner both as to character and cost of work and materials, and shall provide that no payment shall be made thereunder to any contractor except on the certificate of the county engineer, countersigned by the state highway engineer, certifying that the work for which payment is claimed has been done in all respects in accordance with the contract and with the plans and specifications.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-2 County obligations issued

The board of chosen freeholders may provide and raise money for the purposes set forth in section 27:9-1 of this title, by issuing notes or bonds under the provisions of article 1 of chapter 1 of the title Municipalities and Counties (s. 40:1-1 et seq.). The obligations issued pursuant to this section and renewals thereof shall be made under the provisions and limitations of section 40:1-8 of the title Municipalities and Counties.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-3 Road taken over as state highway; county reimbursed

When the commissioner has or shall have approved a contract made in accordance with section 27:9-1 of this title and the payments thereunder, he shall within six years after the date of such approval, if funds be on hand available for the purpose, take over the highway so constructed by a county in accordance with the terms of sections 27:9-1 to 27:9-5 of this title and pay to the county the actual cost of the construction thereof. The sum so paid, or such part thereof as may be necessary, shall be used for the purpose of retiring any bonds or other obligations issued for the purpose of raising funds for the construction of the road. No road constructed by a county under said sections 27:9-1 to 27:9-5 shall be taken over and paid for by the commissioner unless the state highway engineer shall certify to the commissioner that the road has been constructed in all respects in accordance with the plans and specifications approved by the commissioner, but the commissioner may, if funds be available and have been set aside for the purpose of reimbursing a county for the construction and improvement of a highway made by a county under said sections, pay to the county the amount already expended if the state highway engineer shall certify to the commissioner that the work has been done in accordance with the plans and specifications approved by the commissioner to the value of the amount requested.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-4 Refunding indebtedness if highway not taken over

If the commissioner does not take over the highway in the manner prescribed in section 27:9-3 of this title within six years after the authorization of the appropriation for its construction and improvement, the county shall refund the indebtedness incurred pursuant to section 27:9-2 of this title by the issuance of bonds under the provisions of article 1 of chapter 1 of the title Municipalities and Counties (s. 40:1-1 et seq.), none of which shall mature at a date later than the period set forth in section 40:1-34, of the title Municipalities and Counties, counting from the time of the authorization of the appropriation for the construction and improvement.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-5 Paving state highways by counties; consent; reimbursement

When a road laid out as part of the state highway system has or shall have been taken over by the commissioner as a state highway but has not yet been paved, the board of chosen freeholders of the county in which the road is situate may by resolution request the permission of the commissioner to pave it. If the commissioner concurs in the resolution the county may provide and pay for the work in the manner provided by sections 27:9-1 to 27:9-3 of this title for the improvement by counties of parts of state highway routes that have not been taken over by the commissioner. Counties proceeding under this section shall finance such improvements in the manner provided by said sections 27:9-1 to 27:9-3. The commissioner may designate a year in which the county shall be reimbursed for such work.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-6 Reimbursement of county for interest charges

When a state highway, or portion thereof, has been or shall be improved or reconstructed by the board of chosen freeholders of a county under an agreement with the commissioner, and the commissioner has agreed or shall agree to reimburse the county for the cost of the construction or improvement of such highway, or portion thereof, from state funds, the commissioner shall also agree to pay and the proper state agency shall pay to the board of chosen freeholders, in addition to the cost of the improvement or reconstruction, the actual amount of interest paid by the board for any money raised or borrowed by it for the purpose of making the improvement or construction. The interest shall be considered as part of the construction cost of the road or highway. This section shall apply to all roads constructed or to be constructed under chapter 6 (s. 27:6-1 et seq.) and chapter 7 (s. 27:7-1 et seq.) of this title, and shall apply to any agreement relative to the construction thereof and the payment therefor entered into between the commissioner and any board of chosen freeholders, or to any contract which may hereafter be made between the commissioner and any board of chosen freeholders.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-7 Agreement for work on state highways; payment of county's share

A county may enter into a written agreement with the commissioner to share in the cost of the construction, repair and maintenance of a state highway or a portion thereof, or any highway that may hereafter become a state highway or a portion thereof, and all work incident thereto, as the word "work" is defined in section 27:7-1 of this title. The county may raise its proportionate share of the cost in accordance with the provisions of law providing for road improvement or maintenance. Upon the approval by the commissioner of the certificate of the inspector and engineer in charge of the work that it has been satisfactorily completed, in whole or in part, according to the contract, drawings and specifications, the disbursing officer of the county shall pay its share of the whole or partial cost according to the terms of the agreement, to the state treasurer to the credit of the commissioner.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-8 County bonds for highway improvements; law applicable

A county may borrow money and issue bonds for the improvement, betterment, reconstruction or resurfacing of portions of the state highway system located in the county. The bonds shall be issued in the manner and subject to the limitations prescribed by article 1 of chapter 1 of the title Municipalities and Counties (s. 40:1-1 et seq.).

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-9 Agreement between county and state; use of proceeds; reimbursement

No bonds shall be issued by a county under sections 27:9-8 to 27:9-12 of this title unless and until the board of chosen freeholders thereof shall have previously entered into an agreement on behalf of the county with the state highway commissioner whereby the commissioner shall have agreed to reimburse, and to repay to the county a sum equal to the principal and interest of the bonds, which sum shall be paid in installments to be fixed in the agreement, and whereby the board of chosen freeholders shall have agreed to pay to the commissioner the sum or sums raised by the issuance of those bonds, after deducting the expense of issuance. Any sum so paid to the commissioner pursuant to any such agreement shall be expended solely for the purpose of improving, bettering, reconstructing or resurfacing portions of the state highway system located within the county, as provided in the agreement.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-10 Contribution by county; reimbursement

The state highway commissioner may accept from any such county any sum raised by the issuance of bonds pursuant to sections 27:9-8 to 27:9-12 of this title, and expend such sums for the improvement, betterment, reconstruction or resurfacing of portions of the state highway system located in the county issuing the bonds, and agree to reimburse and repay to such county a sum equal to the principal and interest of such bonds in installments to be fixed in the agreement, from revenues appropriated to the use of the commissioner.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-11 Maturity of bonds arranged

In fixing the time or times of maturity of the principal of any such bonds, the board of chosen freeholders shall consider the amounts to be received each year by way of reimbursement and shall endeavor to arrange the times of maturity of the principal so that the levy of a tax will not be necessary in order to pay either the principal or interest of the bonds.

N.J. Stat. § 27:9-12 Powers deemed additional; construction

The powers granted by sections 27:9-8 to 27:9-11 of this title, are in addition to and not in substitution for the powers granted by existing statutes, and are not subject to any limitation or restriction prescribed by any such statutes, except as may be expressly provided by said sections. The obligation of the commissioner to make any payment or reimbursement pursuant to the agreements authorized by said sections shall have such force and effect as may be permitted by the constitution of this state and if any of the provisions contained in sections 27:9-9 to 27:9-11 of this title shall be unconstitutional or invalid, such provisions shall be exscinded and the remaining sections shall stand.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026