Montgomery Township Committee moves to tie
bypass construction to project at Route 518
By:Roger Alvarado
Hillsborough officials have reacted to Montgomery Township’s decision to redesign the Route 206 Bypass by saying that they remain adamant in their opposition to making any change to the road’s current approved design.
On March 29, Montgomery officials approved an amendment to the township’s Master Plan that would shorten the proposed roadway by routing it to the west before crossing Township Line Road, where it crosses the CSX railroad tracks and connects with the existing Route 206.
Montgomery officials believe such a change "would reasonably safeguard the quality of life for the future residents of the (Pike Run) development" something Montgomery officials say is no longer represented in the current design.
Officials from Montgomery also believe that the current DOT (Department of Transportation) design will cause traffic congestion and will ultimately have negative effects on the historic Harlingen village, wetlands and area habitats.
DOT officials have responded to Montgomery’s action by saying they remain committed to moving forward with the project, in its current configuration, and have said that construction could begin as soon as fiscal year 2007.
In September, DOT Commissioner Jack Lettiere told officials of both Hillsborough and Montgomery, that any further attempts to change the design of the bypass would result in a loss of federal funding priority for the project.
"(Then) Mayor (Steven) Sireci and I and the mayor of Montgomery (Louise Wilson) and other Montgomery officials were told by the commissioner of transportation that any change in the proposed route of the bypass would endanger federal funding," Township Administrator Kevin Davis said Tuesday. "So, Hillsborough opposes any change."
Mr. Davis went on to say that this week Mayor Bob Wagner has sent Commissioner Lettiere a letter "reaffirming our commitment to the bypass and it’s importance to town."
In his letter, Mayor Wagner wrotes "I would like to re-emphasize to you the township of Hillsborough’s support for proceeding with the completion of the Route 206 bypass and the importance of the bypass to the Township’s Town Center Master Plan and smart growth planning."Mayor Wagner goes on to say that the township’s smart growth planning strategy is predicated upon the completion of the Route 206 bypass and the subsequent creation of the Town Center focused on the existing portion of Route 206 which will be "cut off" to serve as the Main Street.
"The Hillsborough Planning Board is expected to imminently be presenting a new master plan that will refine the Town Center concept," Mayor Wagner writes. "The plan will create a pedestrian friendly mixed-use core and is the type of smart growth planning that is being encouraged in the state Development and Redevelopment Plan. The timely completion of the Route 206 bypass is critical for the new plan’s success."
The bypass was first incorporated in the 1996 Hillsborough Master Plan and subsequently linked with the establishment of Town Center in the 1999 Master Plan Amendment-Town Center & Main Street Plan.

