Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is spearheading an effort to fully fund a newly-created federal program that could kick-start important federal-local infrastructure projects around military bases and which could benefit Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

Along with Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA), Smith is the co-lead of a bipartisan letter asking for $100 million to be appropriated in the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP), which was created last year to help improve local traffic flow and protect military training and readiness exercises near military installations. Specifically, DCIP could be tapped to help pay for a much-needed overpass near the Joint Base to fix what is currently a dangerous traffic situation along County Road 539 which traverses Fort Dix.

“The intersection of County Rd. 539 with a Fort Dix roadway is an unsustainable traffic hazard where civilian traffic and military convoys cross a busy public intersection during routine military exercises,” Smith said.

“This situation is dangerous for all involved, highly inconvenient for both local residents and servicemembers at the base, and could easily be solved by constructing an overpass to facilitate smooth, unobstructed civilian and military traffic flow in both directions,” Smith said. “I will continue fighting to see that this vital project—as well as other infrastructure projects around the country—can move ahead with proper funding.”

Smith has been working with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, officials from Ocean County, and the Defense Enhancement Coalition on this project.

Smith voted for the legislation—the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act—that created the DCIP. In their letter, Reps. Smith and Heck are asking that DCIP now be federally funded at the authorized level of $100 million so that communities and the Department of Defense can partner in providing better infrastructure around federal bases.

“This program funding can go to a variety of infrastructure projects including transportation developments,” the letter from Reps. Smith and Heck stated. “This will reduce traffic congestion around military bases and help ensure our servicemembers aren’t stuck outside the wire in a traffic jam and allow our communities to provide alternative methods for accessing base facilities. By investing in road infrastructure that goes through and around our bases, this program will make our communities safer, while enhancing readiness.”