By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — Work on the Route 518 bridge across the Delaware & Raritan Canal, which has been stalled since Gov. Chris Christie issued a stop-work order in July, will resume — thanks to the collaborative efforts of state and county lawmakers.
The Somerset County Board of Freeholders has agreed to pay for the project, Somerset County Freeholder Director Patricia Walsh said Tuesday night. The county will pay for it as a capital expenditure, with no added impact on Somerset County taxpayers, she said.
Work will begin after a formal memorandum of understanding is approved, Ms. Walsh said. The bridge project was scheduled to be finished in early August.
The bridge is located on the border between Rocky Hill Borough and Franklin Township, but Montgomery Township officials have pushed for the project to be completed. They claimed that the bridge detour put residents’ lives in danger because it takes longer for an ambulance to reach the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro and the hospitals in New Brunswick.
The state Department of Transportation was ordered to stop work on the $2.75 million project, which is among many state-funded transportation projects that were deemed “non-essential,” pending an agreement to re-fund the Transportation Trust Fund.
But state Sen. Kip Bateman and state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli (both R-16th Legislative District) worked with Gov. Christie, the Somerset County Freeholder board and the Department of Transportation to re-start the project.
The two state lawmakers had called on Gov. Christie to declare the bridge project as “essential,” which would allow work to resume on it. There is a provision in the governor’s executive order to stop work that allows projects to be kept active if they are essential to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of New Jersey.
“With the help of Sen. Bateman and Assemblyman Ciattarelli, we were able to successfully resolve the funding issues that would allow this critical project to move forward,” Ms. Walsh said. County residents should not bear the fallout from the debate over the Transportation Trust Fund, she said.
“You cannot put a price tag on the safety and security of Somerset County residents. From a health, safety and convenience standpoint, this is a ‘win’ for Somerset County residents,” Ms. Walsh said.
Montgomery Township Mayor Patricia Graham praised the agreement, noting that the closure of the Route 518 bridge had put an “undue burden on our residents.”
Montgomery Township Committee had written to state officials, expressing concern about the increased response time for emergency services. First responders — firefighters and emergency medical technicians — had to follow a detour.
Somerset County Public Health and Safety Director William Stahl, who also lobbied to resume work on the project, said the decision to fund the completion of the project “demonstrates the Freeholders’ commitment to the safety and security of Somerset County residents and ensures this roadway will be safe for travelers.”
The Route 518 bridge is a critical crossing for emergency services, school buses and residents who cannot afford to detour miles out of the way, Sen. Bateman said. He said that he was glad that he and Assemblyman Ciattarelli were able to bring state and county officials together to reach an agreement.
“What is important,” added Assemblyman Ciattarelli, “is that we took action to fix the problem and were able to gain agreement on a solution that is good for the residents of Somerset County and the region.”
