Freeholders Announce Start of Wharton Road Bypass Project

Published on March 06, 2020

NORTH MAIN STREET EXTENSION WILL EASE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND ALLEVIATE DIFFICULT INTERSECTION FOR TRUCKS

The Morris County Freeholders joined with Wharton officials and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn today for a groundbreaking to kick-off the long-awaited North Main Street Extension Project.

The $1.7 million project, commonly known as the Wharton Bypass, should provide a remedy for a difficult downtown intersection, making it much easier for larger trucks to maneuver in that area.

It will connect North Main Street, near 175 North Main Street, where a severe turn exists in the road, to a point on West Dewey Avenue just east of a residential district.

Morris County Freeholder , Stephen Shaw (right) speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the $1.7 million project, commonly known as the Wharton Bypass, held in Wharton. Photo: Jerry McCrea

We are very excited to be here today to start this long-awaited project, one that should make a real difference in driving here in Wharton, especially for big trucks that have long struggled to traverse this section of the borough,'' said Morris County Freeholder Stephen Shaw.

It is with great cooperation with the county of Morris and the town of Wharton that we start work on this new road, which truly signals the progress of redevelopment that we have embarked upon over the past several years,'' said Wharton Mayor Bill Chegwidden. This would not have been possible without the forward-thinking of the Morris County Freeholders.

Wharton bypass location map(JPG, 1MB)The signalized intersection at North Main Street and Dewey Avenue has long been problematic in terms of the delays experienced by motorists due to large volumes of traffic at this intersection.

The intersection of North Main Street and Dewey Avenue serves the majority of vehicles entering and exiting the borough via the nearby highway network. It also facilitates movements for north/south and east/west traffic destined for adjoining municipalities.

The bypass road adjoins the west side of the former Air Products and LE Carpenter industrial sites, which should increase their attractiveness for redevelopment.

It also is relatively close to the Route 80 interchange.

The Wharton bypass work will dovetail into a New Jersey Department of Transportation project to add missing ramps to Route 80 and Route 15 to make it a full interchange. That project is in the NJDOT design phase.

(Left to right) Stephen Shaw, Morris County Freeholder Deputy Director; Aura Dunn, N.J. State Assemblywoman; John Krickus, Morris County Freeholder; and Doug Cabana, Morris Freeholder; are seen during the groundbreaking ceremony for the $1.7 million project, commonly known as the Wharton Bypass, held in Wharton. Photo: Jerry McCrea

Project Facts

  • Contractor: Tomco Construction of Mt. Arlington
  • Bid Price: $1,678,564
  • Project Inspector: Keller & Kirkpatrick of Morris Plains
  • Project Designed by T&M Associates of Middletown
  • The new extension will be 1,100-feet long and 30-feet wide
  • Project will include relocation of a portion of an existing walking path
  • Project will include installation of decorative lighting along the walking path, within the project limit.
  • East Dewey Avenue will be paved from the limits of the current project to Route 15.
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