Borough presses DOT to preserve Route 23 realignment plan

SUSSEX Borough — Rumors have been circulating since last summer that the New Jersey Department of Transportation has been considering a major pullback in its planned $33.35 million realignment of Route 23 through Sussex Borough. The reason: the state’s $33 billion debt load. In an effort to prevent that from occurring, Sussex Mayor Christian Parrott, Sussex County Freeholder Susan M. Zellman and Borough Councilman Bruce La Bar are heading to Trenton on Feb. 1 to convince DOT officials to keep the project on course. “For the sake of the borough, I hope we can convince them (DOT officials) to go ahead” with its Route 23 realignment plans, said Mayor Parrott. The DOT originally planned to smooth the sharp “S” turn through the heart of the borough, which should alleviate traffic congestion by making it easier for 18-wheel trucks and other vehicles to navigate the turn. To help smooth the turn, the DOT had planned to combine a section of Walling Avenue with Route 23. Now, the agency may leave Walling Avenue alone while taking out just a section of the current Gulf station, said Parrott. The state’s original plan was to purchase the Gulf station property and redirect part of Route 23 through the land while transitioning a section of the property into a municipal parking lot. Now, the state may decide to use just a portion of the Gulf station property, said Parrott. Calls to NJ DOT officials were not returned before deadline. Parrott said he’s hoping that DOT officials can be persuaded to maintain the integrity of the project and smooth out the “S” turn for the sake of the town’s businesses and residents. Because he faces a potential conflict of interest in his role as borough mayor and as the owner of the Sussex Inn, which sits at the intersection of Main Street and Route 23/Loomis Avenue, Parrott has asked Councilman Bruce La Bar to attend the meeting with him and Zellman. Parrott pointed to how Hamburg officials successfully lobbied DOT officials to retain a revitalization project for Route 94. Zellman said she met with DOT officials in November to discuss some of the changes the agency is planning to its Route 23 realignment project in Hamburg and Hardyston. She said she wouldn’t be able to discuss any potential changes to the agency’s Route 23 project plans in Sussex Borough until she meets with DOT Deputy Commissioner Stephen Dilts on Feb. 1 with Parrott and La Bar.