County updates on Columbia Turnpike interchange kickoff, culvert replacement and NJDOT signal upgrades

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — County officials told the Morris County Board of Commissioners on Thursday that preliminary engineering for the Columbia Turnpike/KM EGrama 24 interchange project has begun and that several county paving projects and an emergency culvert replacement are underway.

Commissioner reports said the project kickoff for the Columbia Turnpike preliminary engineering was held Aug. 11; the engineering consultant will perform survey work and collect traffic counts in the coming month. Paving work is ongoing on Schooley Mountain Road in Washington Township, Compton Turnpike and Pekwanaka Main Road in Montville, the board heard.

An emergency 30‑inch culvert collapse outside the travel way on Mini Sink Road in Mount Arlington prompted replacement work. Commissioners said New Jersey Department of Transportation agreed to fund the replacement because county roads were used as detours during a prior Route 80 sinkhole repair; the county’s estimate for the replacement was described as about $200,000.

Commissioner discussion also covered recent NJDOT traffic‑signal upgrades to meet federal standards, including adding a signal head for each lane and upgraded pedestrian facilities. A county representative said NJDOT is responsible for the design and installation and that the work is part of wider federal-standards compliance.

Why it matters: The projects affect traffic, public safety and county maintenance budgets. The culvert replacement being funded by NJDOT followed detours placed on county roads during a state repair; the county expects DOT funding to cover the replacement cost.

Decisions and next steps: Engineering and survey work for the Columbia Turnpike interchange will proceed; the culvert replacement is being paid by NJDOT per the discussion. No formal vote was recorded on these informational reports.

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