Hillsborough Mayor Robert Britting Jr. has been inviting the community to take their questions to him directly, making good on his promise to be honest with residents and keep them informed.
“The more questions you ask, the more information I can get out to residents and that is
part of my job,” the mayor said.
In the first two segments, he has touched on two major projects – Falcon Road and Route 206.
Falcon Road
The Falcon Road widening project is expected to be completed by the end of summer or early fall of this year, Britting said, noting the Gateway developer is in charge of the large development project.
“In order to complete the construction, additional land was needed from homeowners along the roadway, which was an imperative part of the process,” the mayor explained. “This acquisition of land took an extended period of time because homeowners were reluctant to give up the land along the frontage of their property, which is completely understandable.”
The township worked with homeowners to lead to a consensus with the acquisition. Now the additional land has been acquired and the next part of the process can begin, Britting said, which involves PSE&G moving their utility poles to the acquired land as well as wiring work from the telephone and cable companies.
“The developer has removed trees, surveyed new locations of the roadway, looked into drainage systems and is working on sidewalks,” Britting said.
Route 206
During the Township Committee’s reorganization meeting, Britting said one of the projects they will continue to push the state on is the widening of Route 206 between Doctors Way and Camplain Road. The project had been delayed in 2023 after the New Jersey Department of Transportation terminated its contract with Konkus Corporation.
The second ask the mayor question was the “burning question” of “What is the next step with Route 206?”
From Day 1, Britting said his objective with the project is to work closely with state, county and local leadership with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and make sure state and county officials are aware of the challenges that Hillsborough faces with the halted project.
“We wanted to gain insights, facts and figures to ensure when we have our discussion with the state and DOT’s leadership team, it is revolved around data … not emotion,” the mayor said, adding “data always tells a true story.”
Hillsborough’s engineering department has collected numerous photos of unsafe conditions along Route 206 and those photos have been shared with the NJDOT and Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration.
Britting said Murphy’s office has been “fully collaborating” with the township on their want to get the project back on track. He also sent over photos of flooded areas in Hillsborough at the request of the governor’s office.
The township is expected to have a meeting with Murphy’s administration on the Route 206 project this month.
Residents can “Ask the Mayor” using an online form that can be found on the township
website, the weekly Mayor’s eNews, and the Hillsborough Township Facebook page.
Videos can be viewed on the “Ask the Mayor” Channel on the Hillsborough Township
YouTube page, the weekly Mayor’s eNews, and social media channels.