'A Little Bit' Of Work To Resume On Route 206 Project In Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The halted Route 206 widening project will resume but only partially, said Hillsborough Mayor Shawn Lipani at Tuesday night's Committee meeting.

Lipani reported that after the Township asked the New Jersey Department of Transportation for an update on the halted project they got a letter on Oct. 24.

In the letter, NJDOT says they will be working with PSE&G to facilitate the installation of 49 utility poles in the vicinity of Route 206 North between Doctors Way and Opie Road, Route 206 South between Doctors Way and Independence Way, and on Triangle and Falcon roads.

Additional work such as the bridge located on Valley Road and the remaining sono tubes and pole relocations throughout the project limits will take place once the Surety Company provides a suitable contractor to complete the project, according to the letter read by Lipani.

"So in other words they are going to do a little bit but they still don’t have a contractor picked out," said Lipani.

The $41 million federally-funded project to widen Route 206 was halted in May after the NJDOT terminated its contract with Konkus Corporation.

NJDOT previously said in September that it is the Surety’s obligation to complete the contract. Read More: NJDOT Addresses Halted Route 206 Project Concerns In Hillsborough

"Unfortunately, the Surety has been unresponsive to the many inquiries of the Department’s counsel since notified of the contractor’s termination," said NJDOT in September. "If the Surety continues to drag its feet on identifying a replacement contractor, the Department, through its counsel, will exhaust every option to restart this contract, and accelerate construction to the extent feasible."

NJDOT issued a statement after Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. visited the halted Route 206 widening project in Hillsborough and spoke with impacted business owners on Sept. 15. Read More: Congressman Kean Visits 'Abandoned' Route 206 Widening Project

Following the visit, Kean sent a letter to NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti urging that the department take all necessary steps to restart construction on the Route 206 Widening Project.

"The pause in the Route 206 widening project is dramatically impacting Hillsborough businesses and residents," said Kean, Jr. "There are real challenges as a result of this delay, from increased traffic congestion to concerns about safety and the local economy. It's vital that we bring together a multi-level government approach to ensure NJDOT resumes and completes this project."

Additionally, Hillsborough Township’s Economic and Business Development Director Zuzana Karas also spearheaded the circulation of a petition among the Hillsborough businesses that are impacted with hopes of getting NJDOT to restart the project again. Read More: Petition Pushes To Restart Route 206 Widening Project In Hillsborough

A total of 145 signatures were collected from local businesses and their supporters, according to the township.

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