Concerns Raised Over Delays in Shrewsbury Roadwork

On White Street in Shrewsbury, a portion of the road best described as a small bridge crosses an equally small creek. On it, and just off of the sidewalk, a half dozen orange and white Monmouth County Department of Public Works barrels surround a hole in the ground.

That hole is the result, borough council members say, of incomplete roadwork on the part of the county. Incomplete roadwork, they add, that’s being delayed after already being delayed for years.

“This is an incomplete job,” Councilman William Dodge said at a recent council meeting. “Can we get the freeholders involved? Make them aware that it took five years to fix this and we don’t want to wait another five years.”

The culvert that channels the creek under the road failed and needed to be replaced. That process, the council said, took about half a decade. Recently, the county replaced the culvert, but in doing so part of the asphalt road collapsed into a sinkhole of sorts.

Instead of immediately amending the problem, council members said, the county instead covered the hole with a sheet of metal and erected barrels and cones around it, creating an eyesore and potential hazard.

“This is really the county not completing the job, that’s what it comes down to,” Councilman Tom Menapace said. “This should have been done within a month of them coming in.”

While the county has said it will complete the job, the council said it has not been given any timetable for work to begin. Should the delays continue, members of the council have made it known that they would like to reach out to the county to inquirer when work will begin.