Vicari Takes Route 166/37 Project Complaints To Murphy In Person

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy came to Ocean County on Friday to talk about offshore drilling. He left after hearing another plea from county officials to finish the work at Routes 166 and 37.

Murphy was in Point Pleasant Beach on Friday for a news conference on the boardwalk as he signed a bipartisan bill to block energy drilling off the Jersey Shore, a position the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders has long supported, the freeholders said in a news release.

Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari took the opportunity to talk to Murphy about the ongoing construction, which has dragged on for months, angering officials at both the county and the town level, as well as frustrating residents and business owners. (RELATED: Chorus Of Complaints Over Route 37/166 Work Delays Grows Louder)

"I explained that this intersection is literally the gateway to the Shore," Vicari said. Following the meeting, 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.

Businesses along Route 166 and Route 37 have reported a drop in customers who are unwilling to navigate the maze of cones and construction vehicles to visit nearby shops and restaurants.

"The governor was very gracious and I thanked him for taking a personal interest in these issues that are so important to Ocean County’s residents," Vicari said.

The freeholder board passed a resolution last week urging Murphy to press the state Department of Transportation to finish the project quickly. The DOT says the transportation construction shutdown ordered by then-Gov. Chris Christie in 2016, just months after the work started, led to a major delay as New Jersey Natural Gas, which had to relocate its gas mains, turned its attention elsewhere. That work was just recently completed, the DOT said last week.

Now that he’s met personally with the governor and a member of his staff, Vicari said he is confident Murphy will do all he can to fast-track the project.

"It was a very productive meeting," Vicari said.

"This project was supposed to have been completed by now," Freeholder Director Gerry P. Little said last week. "While I understand that the majority of delays occurred prior to Governor Murphy taking office, I am also concerned that with the approach of Memorial Day traffic delays at this intersection are only going to get worse."

The DOT estimates the work on the $11.8 million project may be completed by the end of 2018, Dan Triana, a DOT spokesman, said last week.

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