By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Mayor Liz Lempert on Thursday waded into the gas tax debate by saying she favored a hike to fund infrastructure improvements and cited the state’s oldest bridge located in Princeton as a prime example of neglect.
“One of the fundamental responsibilities of state government is to maintain state road infrastructure,” she said after attending a ribbon-cutting for new municipal bus.
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers has proposed using proceeds from a 23-cent-per-gallon hike to shore up the financially ailing state Transportation Trust Fund. They also are looking to increase the amount from that fund that gets distributed to counties and municipalities, a potential boon to towns like Princeton.
She said she supported the proposed hike. But even with an increase of that size, she said the gas tax would be smaller than those on the books in neighboring states of New York (42.64 cents per gallon) and Pennsylvania (50.40).
Likewise, Cheryl Kastrenakes, executive director of the nonprofit Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association, said Thursday that she too supports a gas tax for a state that has an “inability” to maintain its existing infrastructure.
“There’s so many bridges that are in disrepair,” she said in also pointing to a lack of funding for public transportation.
Her comments come with the state poised later this year to begin repairs on a historic bridge in town located along heavily traveled Route 206, the highway that goes past Drumthwacket, the official residence of Gov. Chris Christie.
Problems surfaced earlier this year, when a stone parapet on the southbound lane collapsed on Feb.22. Further inspection uncovered a “damaged” foundation including cracks and voids in the arches holding up a bridge that dates to 1792, the oldest in New Jersey.
But Mayor Lempert said the structure is on a list of bridges around the state in “desperate” need of repair.
“It was one that was routinely cited as being … structurally deficient,” she said.
In March, the state Department of Transportation announced its plan to repair the bridge and replace another bridge abutting it. Based on what officials said then, the state would reconstruct and raise the parapet wall on both sides to 3 feet and 6 inches, use concrete to support the arches and do reconstruction work below the parapet.
“Work is planned to start immediately after the completion of the replacement of the Carter Road bridge by Mercer County that is expected to be completed by the end of August,” said municipal engineer Robert V. Kiser by email Thursday. “For the [Route] 206 bridge work to be completed prior to winter weather, Princeton would need to agree to evening / nighttime expanded work hours.”
Mayor Lempert stressed that the historic integrity of the bridge has to be preserved when the state repairs it. She also pointed to the disruption of daily life that the work will cause, given the road will need to be closed for a “significant period of time.” A spokesman for the DOT did not immediately respond to a request for details about the project.
“The period during which they’re constructing it is likely going to be extremely disruptive,” she said. “So it’s something where there’s nothing we can do to avoid that. The works needs to be done.”
