Route 518 is one of the busiest roads in southern Somerset County. Between Rocky Hill and Franklin, the bridge on that roadway over the Delaware and Raritan Canal has been closed for replacement since late last month, causing frustrating traffic tie-ups and concerns about safety among residents of Rocky Hill.

The July 8 order by Governor Chris Christie to suspend work on all “non-essential” road projects С in response to a Senate stalemate over which taxes should be cut in exchange for raising the gas tax to fund road work С has halted the construction work, making matters worse. 

The detour currently in place re-routes traffic down Crescent Avenue to get to River Road. For those who live on that street, the trucks rumbling down the road are “an accident waiting to happen,” said resident Caron Wendell.

“Normally, traffic flows from 206 down 518,” said Ms. Wendell, who owns the restaurant One 53 on Washington Street (Route 518) and Lucy’s Kitchen on Route 206. “With the bridge out, none of the trucks can make the turn. Traffic has been routed down our street to get onto River Road. There is a sign that says the amount of tons a truck can be, and they are definitely over that amount. So they are illegally going down our street.”

One side of Crescent Avenue has a sidewalk with no shoulder, while the opposite side has neither. “We have no police department. We hire from Bound Brook, and they come once a month to monitor our traffic,” Ms. Wendell said. “So nobody is here on a regular basis monitoring our traffic. It’s a matter of somebody getting hit. People are speeding. Nobody is looking at the crosswalks. Everybody walks to pick up their mail on 518, so a lot of people are out walking. And drivers just don’t stop.”

On July 18, Rocky Hill’s Borough Council passed a resolution urging Governor Christie to consider the Route 518 bridge project “essential” and restore construction work as quickly as possible. The resolution notes that University Hospital of Princeton in Plainsboro “is the primary hospital for this area with RWJ New Brunswick as the secondary; and Rocky Hill and Montgomery First Aid Squads must add between 9-25 minutes per call depending on time of day to reach University Hospital at Princeton and even more if it is a trauma requiring RWJ Hospital in New Brunswick.”

David Frauenheim, communications director of Somerset County’s 911 Center, said there is considerable concern about the issue. “Our biggest worry is the extended response times for EMS, police and fire,” he said. “The detour is very lengthy — almost 10 miles full circle. In Franklin Township, they have had to have other EMS services pick up more of Rocky Hill’s area. So the nearest squad is pretty much put out of service.”

Rocky Hill Mayor Jeff Donahue did not respond to requests for comment. But in an email he sent to one concerned resident, he said he had learned that it was unlikely any changes would be made to the detour until the bridge construction is complete.

“The DOT has received the same complaints from every town in our area, and thousands of motorists,” he wrote. “There have been collisions and violence at the Griggstown Causeway, where backups have been over an hour. All affected roads through Montgomery, Kingston, Franklin, Princeton, etc. are experiencing 45-plus-minute delays…The DOT has been clear that they are not going to make matters worse for all communities to mitigate problems in one.”

Mr. Donahue urged residents to call or email the governor’s office to complain about the safety problems caused by the detour. “The executive order [halting DOT projects] states that DOT projects that impact health and safety can continue work,” he wrote. “Somerset County, Franklin, and Rocky Hill have all provided letters to the governor, DOT, and legislature demanding that 518 work be restarted specifically due to the health and safety impact. This is our top priority.”

Somerset County’s Public Health and Safety Chief William J. Stahl sent a letter to the governor’s office about the problem but has not received a reply, Mr. Frauenheim said.

Ms. Wendell commented, “The biggest thing is that Christie couldn’t care less. We are a little town, and we’re hoping somebody does something.”