BERKELEY – Residents and elected officials have been complaining about the state of Route 9 for years but some recent utility work has made it very bumpy to drive over.
New Jersey Natural Gas is working on their pipes in the area. Following that, the New Jersey Department of Transportation was to perform a road improvement project for about eight miles of Route 9 from Beachwood to Lanoka Harbor. Intersections along that stretch would be upgraded but the changes were not expected to drastically change the direction of traffic.
Those driving the road at night might have noticed there were times when a lane was closed so that the state’s contractor, Earle Asphalt, could do work on the road.
Berkeley Mayor Carmen Amato said that “Route 9 is worse today than when it was 2019,” before the NJNG project.
The town sent a request to the DOT that the paving should be done within 30 days. Officials acknowledged that NJNG had delays on their end but they didn’t want the paving to be delayed any more.
The roadway has unsafe conditions, Amato said, and it is costing residents in wear and tear on their vehicles. Residents suggested to him having a class action suit for damages.
“We’ve been more than patient. It’s time the NJDOT holds their contractor accountable,” he said.
Councilman Keith Buscio said that when talking to residents at the recent Berkeley Community Pride Day, the number one comment wasn’t about COVID or taxes. “It was ‘When is Route 9 going to get paved?’” He worried that once winter hits, it will be deemed too cold to pave.
“The NJDOT is aware of the town’s concerns and is in the process of setting up a meeting with local officials to discuss the project and clarify some confusion between an unrelated New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) project on Route 9 in Berkeley and NJDOT’s project,” said Stephen Schapiro, deputy director of communications for the NJDOT.
“The Department has a $9.1 million pavement and intersection improvements project on Route 9 between Jones Road in Lacey and Longboat Avenue in Beachwood, which goes through Berkeley. The project will improve approximately eight miles of Route 9, including lighting, traffic signal upgrades, construction of (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant curbs and ramps, sidewalks, milling and paving, and application of High Performance Thin Overlay (HPTO),” he said.
“The New Jersey Natural Gas project must be finished before NJDOT can do our work. NJNG’s project is advancing, but is not yet complete. However, we are working wherever NJNG has finished,” he said.
“NJDOT’s work began in July on the curbs, sidewalks, and ADA ramps, but was delayed because some areas adjacent to the roadway were washed out and required redesign,” he said. “The goal is to complete the curb work, ADA ramps and guiderail improvements by the end of the year.
“The application of HPTO is temperature sensitive. Milling, paving and application of the HPTO was always expected to begin in the spring of 2022. Electrical work also will be completed for traffic signal upgrades. The entire project is anticipated to be complete by fall of 2022.”
