Morris County officials say Route 80 sinkholes disrupt traffic, seek state and federal aid for affected small businesses

Commissioners and county staff told the Morris County Board of County Commissioners that sinkholes on Interstate 80 have forced lane closures, disrupted deliveries and passenger traffic, and prompted outreach to state and federal agencies about emergency business relief.

The issue matters, officials said, because extended traffic disruptions are reducing customer visits and increasing delivery times for businesses along detour routes, and may require expedited financial assistance beyond existing programs.

Commissioner Beckett said crews expect to reopen two westbound lanes “within a week,” a timeline the board said should ease congestion but not erase economic impacts. Deputy Director Steven Shaw and other officials reported ongoing coordination with municipalities and state partners on traffic mitigation and safety measures.

County Administrator Dean O'Leary said the county has been working with the governor’s office and state agencies to connect locally affected officials to possible resources. “Statutorily, we are not able to do that. We have to collect a 100% of what we have budgeted,” O'Leary said, referring to requests from a borough mayor to reduce the municipal tax levy to offset losses for small businesses. He said the county instead made introductions to state and federal agencies for a March 31 meeting the borough organized and that the U.S. Small Business Administration, NJEDA, the New Jersey Small Business Development Center and a representative from the governor’s office were expected to attend.

Board members discussed approaches being considered at the state level, including expedited grants or targeted programs to provide immediate cash flow. Commissioners and staff said some proposed legislation could streamline aid but cautioned that existing federal funds the county previously used for small-business grants (ARPA-funded programs) are no longer available for new local awards.

Officials encouraged municipal leaders to document affected businesses and quantify losses to help state and federal partners target relief. “It would be great to quantify and define the industries, the businesses most impacted,” one commissioner said during the discussion, noting that retail, restaurants and delivery-dependent firms face the largest operational impacts.

Next steps described at the meeting included continued coordination with NJDOT and NJOEM on traffic and safety, compiling lists of affected businesses at the municipal level for the March 31 session, and monitoring any state or federal announcements about expedited grant programs or low-interest loans.

Details not specified in the meeting: estimated total economic loss, precise timeline if additional mines or subsurface issues are discovered, and any formal county funding commitment for business relief.