By Luciana Lopez and Hilary Russ

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who suffered in the polls after a politically motivated bridge traffic tie-up, will announce on Tuesday he is running for president, according to a source familiar with his plans.

Christie will join more than a dozen other Republicans who have declared their intentions to seek the party's nomination for the November 2016 presidential election.

Christie, known for his brashness, has spent time in the past few months in the early voting states of New Hampshire and Iowa laying out policy proposals, including on the economy and national security.

Public radio station WNYC first reported Christie's planned announcement.

The 52-year-old Christie has been a controversial figure in New Jersey politics, seen as honest and plain spoken by supporters and a bully by detractors.

The controversy surrounding the 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closure fueled views that Christie relied on strong-arm politics to get his way. In May a former Christie ally pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the scandal, while two others were indicted.

New Jersey's highest court ruled last month that Christie can cut $1.6 billion from state pension funding, removing a hurdle for his national ambitions and giving some temporary financial relief to the state.

He has won praise for his ability to connect with voters in person, seen in town halls across New Jersey and New Hampshire.

Nevertheless, Christie has struggled to gain traction. A recent poll by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind found his approval rating in New Jersey at just 30 percent.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on Wednesday became the 13th Republican to announce his bid for the presidency.

Other Republicans who have already announced include former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is expected to formalize his candidacy in coming weeks.

Story continues

In a rolling five-day Reuters/Ipsos poll, results through June 2 show Christie with 5.6 percent support among the Republican hopefuls, behind Bush, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Walker, Rubio and surgeon Ben Carson.

For the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll results for all the potential Republican presidential candidates, see (bit.ly/1BKCdVi).

(Editing by Grant McCool, James Dalgleish and Jeffrey Benkoe)