NJDOT Addresses Halted Route 206 Project Concerns In Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — New Jersey Department of Transportation officials are speaking out after coming under fire from Congressional and Hillsborough officials over the halting of the Route 206 widening project.

"The New Jersey Department of Transportation is keenly aware of the impacts to Hillsborough caused by the stoppage of work on the Route 206, Doctors Way to Valley Road Capital Project. Regrettably, the Department was left with no choice as issues related to the safety of motorists and employees were made known," wrote NJDOT.

Specifically, NJDOT addressed Hillsborough Deputy Mayor Robert Britting's comments that said the Department stopped the project early.

"We take safety issues raised by our employees very seriously. Activities in and around the job site were reported as unsafe, creating risk to employees and motorists alike. We were compelled to act," said Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, NJDOT Commissioner.

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

After the contract was terminated, NJDOT immediately notified the Surety Company.

"It is the Surety’s obligation to complete the contract. Unfortunately, the Surety has been unresponsive to the many inquiries of the Department’s counsel since notified of the contractor’s termination," said NJDOT. "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's comments come after Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. visited the halted Route 206 widening project in Hillsborough and spoke with impacted business owners on Friday. Read More: Congressman Kean Visits 'Abandoned' Route 206 Widening Project

Hillsborough Mayor Shawn Lipani expressed that he was happy for Kean's visit to "the abandoned Route 206 widening project that has cast a shadow over our community for far too long."

"His visit highlights the urgency of addressing this issue, allowing him to see firsthand the health and safety concerns we are experiencing, as well as the impact it has made on our local businesses. We hope his insights will help us find a way forward and that we have his support in advocating for the completion of this crucial project," said Lipani.

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.

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."

Read the full text of the letter HERE.

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