Toms River Car Wash Reopens, Anger Simmers Over Route 166 Mess

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Schuster's Car Wash on Route 166 was back to washing vehicles on Thursday, but the resentment over disruptions to businesses caused by the ongoing construction at the intersection of Routes 166 and 37 continues to simmer.

"Glad to see you got up and running," one commenter posted on the car wash's Facebook page. "I hope the state has a checkbook."

Toms River Council President Brian Kubiel expressed a similar sentiment Tuesday night, noting several of the businesses in the area have reported a decrease in customers as motorists avoid the area due to the construction.

"The state should be compensating these business owners for the lost revenue," Kubiel said.

Before Schuster's water was shut off, the restaurant Shut Up And Eat, south of Route 37 on Route 166, found its entire driveway blocked without warning, owner Ann Gauthier told the Asbury Park Press.

And Kubiel said the owners of the Office Lounge contacted him earlier in the month because all of the entrances to the Toms River Shopping Center were blocked off, as was Highland Parkway. Kubiel said Police Chief Mitch Little had to address the issue with the contractor at the site. And then a sewer pipe was broken during the work, which forced the restaurant to close for several hours, Kubiel said.

ShopRite and Corinne Jewelers also have told him they have seen a significant drop in business.

"There has been limited to no coordination with the business owners," Kubiel said. "I have personally tried to reach out to the project manager, which never answers the phone, and once it swtiches to voicemail the mailbox is full and you cannot leave a message."

"This is unacceptable," Kubiel said.

Matthew D. Saidel, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, which is responsible for the project, said by email that the contractor, New Prince Concrete of Hackensack, is supposed to be informing businesses of access or service disruptions.

"Local businesses should always be informed if any access or service disruption will occur over the course of any NJDOT project, and from what we understand, the contractor did so regarding paving driveway aprons," Saidel said. "NJDOT has spoken to the contractor to ensure this continues to happen."

He said the DOT wants to see the project completed soon as well.

"The Department understands and shares the desire from the community to see this project completed, and is working with the contractor and local officials to explore ways to do so in a manner that allows the work to be done safely, with the highest degree of quality, and in the most timely and efficient manner," Saidel said.

New Prince Concrete was awarded the $11.8 million contract for the project in January 2016, and construction began in March 2016 with an estimated completion date of June 2018. But the construction schedule was disrupted when then-Gov. Chris Christie ordered all state road construction projects shut down in July 2016 during the battle over the 23-cent gasoline tax increase to fund the depleted Transportation Trust Fund.

Dan Triana, an NJDOT spokesman, has said the shutdown led to a major issue as New Jersey Natural Gas turned its attention to other projects. The natural gas mains had to be moved before other utilities could be relocated, Triana said in mid-April, and the project sat dormant for several months as a result. The new estimate is that it will be completed by the end of 2018 or early 2019, Triana has said. (RELATED: Chorus Of Complaints Over Route 37/166 Work Delays Grows Louder)

That new date has not sat well with local officials, who foresee massive traffic and business impacts as the summer tourist season hits. Last week, Ocean County Freeholder Joseph Vicari took the complaints of residents and local businesses to Gov. Phil Murphy directly, speaking to the governor in Point Pleasant Beach following Murphy's signing of a bill to ban offshore drilling off New Jersey's coast.

"I explained that this intersection is literally the gateway to the Shore," Vicari said, and gave one of Murphy's assistants accompanied Vicari on a brief tour of the construction site, where they met with several business owners impacted by the project. "It was a productive meeting," he said.

But Vicari's counterpart, Freeholder Director Gerry Little, and Toms River officials continue to call on Murphy to directly intervene and take control of the situation.

Larry Schuster, owner of Schuster's Car Wash, said he puts the blame squarely on Christie and his shutdown of the Transportation Trust Fund projects.

"We would like to take the time to thank everyone for all your support during our road construction problems," Schuster said in a message on the car wash's Facebook page Thursday. "We need to express that the Town of Toms River and the County of Ocean has nothing to do with this. RT 166 is a STATE road and they call all the shots."

"We as a business will put the blame on one person and one person only. Our photo says enough of who is to blame," he said. The photo was the famous one of Christie in the beach chair, Photoshopped into a photo of of the construction project.

Though Schuster told the Asbury Park Press on Tuesday night that he was told workers had mistakenly disconnected the water supply to his business, Saidel said the issue arose because the water company — SUEZ water serves the township — discovered a problem with the tie-in to the car wash when workers switched on a new water main they were installing. Saidel said water service was restored to the car wash on Wednesday afternoon.

Kubiel said Schuster estimated the lost business on Tuesday was roughly 200 vehicles.

"Freeholder Vicari is right; the state should establish a temporary economic improvement zone to provide tax relief and allow these businesses to recover," Kubiel said.

Saidel said the state Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of Risk Management handles all claims arising from construction issues.

Photos by Karen Wall, Patch staff, showing the Route 166 construction mess on Wednesday night.