Wantage to meet with DOT regarding overpass

WANTAGE — Wantage Township Mayor Bill DeBoer requested Township Administrator James Doherty meet with the New Jersey Dept. of Transportation about the new Route 23 bypass on Oct. 9.

DeBoer described the situation as a mess, especially as an abulance tried to take an ambulance past the Sussex Inn and was held up in traffic on the way to a helicopter at the airport.

"You can't get an emergency vehicle through there," DeBoer said.

DeBoer also said the A&P Bridge has a sign that says "no pedestrians.

“I guess that's their way of saying they are not responsible,” he said.

DeBoer also said there was grass where there should be a sidewalk, where he saw a woman pushing a baby carriage on the grass to the bridge's sidewalk.

"It's not easy to push through grass," he said. "Contact the DOT to have a meeting and express our concerns."

Deputy Mayor Bill Gaechter said the timing of the lights is wrong.

"Three cars go and it's red again," he said.

Committeeman Ronald Bassani said the arrows for Route 23 South are wrong at the end of the new section. The left lane should have left and straight arrows, and the right lane should only make right turns. Instead the right lane has both straight and right turns.

"At that point, people only want to go south on (Route) 23," Bassani said.

In the Sussex Inn Case, the DOT agreed to pay $515,000 to cover land acquisition through eminent domain, easement, and a cure for parking associated with the acquisition during the Route 23 realignment.