In 2018, Bordentown Township was awarded a $2.1 million grant through the Local Freight Impact Fund of the New Jersey Department of Transportation based on a regional traffic study to build a connector road between Rising Sun Road and Dunns Mill Road.
A plan that has been “three years in the making” as said by Bordentown Township Administrator Mike Theokas could be on tap to be built soon based on a recent warehouse proposal by First Industrial Realty Trust that would engineer a bypass for the township if approved.
First Industrial Realty Trust and its engineers showcased their plan to build a 208,000-square-foot warehouse along Route 130 between Rising Sun Road and Dunns Mill Road to members of the Bordentown Township Planning Board on April 8.
The industrial real estate company is looking to build its warehouse on a 20.27-acre property that will include 144 parking spots and a 48-bay loading dock.
Based on an agreement to be allowed to build a warehouse in the township, First Industrial Realty Trust said it will dedicate 4.32 acres of the property to Bordentown to help put in a bypass.
The new connector road will give trucks access to Rising Sun Road from Dunns Mill Road without making any u-turns on Route 130 and direct access to the turnpike.
A new connector road between Rising Sun Road and Dunns Mill Road has been something Theokas said the township has wanted to do for a “long time” to help direct traffic better and cause less congestion on the roads.
Theokas even referred to the 2014 study done by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Coalition that “advocated” for Bordentown to get the bypass and helped the township get its grant from the state.
“It will help with the circulation of traffic,” Theokas said about the connector road. “We believe it will help residents in the area and add to their quality of life.”
Theokas added that the township will work with First Industrial Realty Trust on constructing the connector road if the warehouse proposal is approved by the planning board.
Despite the benefits of the connector road, there are still concerns regarding building a warehouse in an area close in proximity to residential homes and Bordentown Regional Middle School just a half-mile up the road.
Because of those concerns, Theokas said that the planning board wants to get a more detailed “street view” of the warehouse plan from First Industrial Realty Trust and its engineers to see what everything would look like.
He added that First Industrial Realty Trust will present a more detailed version of its plan and give any additional information to board members at the May 13 planning board meeting.
