Resident Petitions for Temporary Access on Kinnelon Road

Having to to get to  at Lake Rickabear was not a big deal for some, but for one Kinnelon resident, having to detour around Kinnelon Road on a daily basis is a serious safety concern.

The resident, who prefers only to go by the name Mary Jo, is one of two families cut off from the borough by a sinkhole spanning the width of the roadway on Kinnelon Road by Lake Rickabear. The hole is the result of a during the tropical storm that followed in August.

On Sept. 1, Kinnelon Mayor Bob Collins said he spoke to representatives of Morris County, which owns the road, and that a permanent fix would be about three months away. On Wednesday, Collins re-affirmed that timeline and said that while he had received a letter this month from the county stating that this would be an "emergent repair" the county did not approve a temporary repair to Kinnelon Road.

Collins said he requested that the county consider some form of temporary access for the Kinnelon residents who live on the other side of the hole. In the interim, emergency services are available through a shared services agreement with Boonton Township.

Morris County has used one Bailey bridge, or portable truss bridge, as a temporary fix in the county before, but Collins said the county deemed the Bailey bridge to be inappropriate for the site on Kinnelon Road.

But Mary Jo is convinced something can be done, either temporarily or permanently, so that the residents and other motorists would be able to use the road quicker. She has started a website and online and paper petition that she will present to the county to urge them to move more quickly on the project.

"I don't know why they're refusing to put [the Bailey bridge] up. It is certainly a major road and it is used by a lot of people," she said.

On a personal level, Mary Jo has had surgeries to her legs the past few months and while driving is already painful, she now has to drive an extra 10 minutes to get to the , she said.

While Mary Jo feels that the county has not moved quickly enough on the project, Collins said the county has been moving as fast as they can.

"The county actually took action on Sept. 14," the mayor said. "It's taking longer than anyone would have hoped for or anticipated."

Collins said since the project has been labeled an emergent repair, contracting has to be done through a specific "emergent" bidding process. Collins said the bidding process has begun and the bids are expected to be back this month. Once a bid is awarded, Collins said construction is expected to take another month-and-a-half to two months.

"At this point in time, I don't see the county having an alternate path here," Collins said, adding that he did impress upon the county that Kinnelon Road is an important road to the borough.

Mary Jo said Collins has been attentive to her and she has been in touch with him throughout the process. Still, she is hoping her petition can help move the repairs along.