HILLSBOROUGH: Route 206 bypass completion now targeted for 2018

By Gene Robbins, Managing Editir
   No surprise — completion of the Route 206 bypass will take longer than originally planned.
   But the good news is the state still is committed to the project, said Township Committeeman Frank DelCore on Tuesday night.
   In a meeting Friday, he said, the Department of Transportation officials reaffirmed the project was high on their list, and they would budget money this year for necessary pre-construction work.
   Still, the forecast for completion is now 2018, not the original 2015 timeframe, he said. The bypass has been in the township Master Plan since 1974.
   Deputy Mayor Gloria McCauley, who attended the meeting, said, “We are not pleased with the project timeline and need to ensure that the DOT remains fully committed to funding and project completion. Having an incomplete bypass serves no function.”
   Mr. DelCore said the project needs $75 million for completion and is the only major infrastructure project being built in the state.
   Construction is substantially complete for the middle section of the bypass between Amwell and Hillsborough roads. Township officials expect the work at Hillsborough Road to finish in the next few weeks, allowing the road to reopen.
   When that happens, Homestead Road will be closed for work on the bridge over the CSX railroad line. The two roads will not be closed at the same time, Mr. DelCore said.
   Work on the Amwell-Hillsborough Road section began in 2010. Ultimately, the bypass will veer off Route 206 at Old Somerville and connect to Mountain View Road in the southern part of the township.
   Mr. DelCore said the DOT committed to money for work at either end of the bypass. In the north, money will be appropriated to buy rights-of-way. On the south end, money will allow Century Link telephone and fiber optic lines to be relocated out of the road right-of-way.
   Advance notice signs will be posted next week on Homestead Road two weeks in advance of this closing, according to the DOT. This will require a detour for about six months.
   Hillsborough Road (which is closed with a detour) will be open prior to closing Homestead Road.