New Main Street Extension Open To Traffic In Wharton

WHARTON, NJ — A new main street extension was opened to traffic at the north end of Wharton. Named Chegwidden Way, after the current mayor, it promises to ease traffic congestion on this side of town, in particular at the intersection of North Main Street and Dewey Avenue.

The new stretch of pavement is about 1,100 feet long and 30 feet wide, and connects North Main Street to a point further east along East Dewey Avenue, running through the former Air Products and LE Carpenter industrial sites.

The road cost $1,700,000 and was funded by Morris County. Construction started in March of 2020, but the project has been underway for over a decade, having had to overcome environmental challenges on the industrial sites it goes through.

In a ceremony with county officials, Mayor William Chegwidden was the first one to drive down the new stretch of road.

“The county does not build many new roads these days, but when we do it’s for a good reason," Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen H. Shaw said.

According to Shaw the new route is only the second to be built in the past 50 years.

"[It] promises to be the most significant in the relief it should bring not only to motorists, but also to local businesses and residents of Wharton," he said.