Route 35, 36 Intersection Construction Will Now Be 'Substantially' Complete by July

Motorists can now feel some relief as the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is now reporting that construction at the intersection of Routes 35 and 36 in Eatontown will be "substantially" complete by mid-July.

NJDOT Spokesman Timothy Greeley said the contractor, DeFino Contracting, was originally granted a "six-month extension for the substantial completion date due to delays in utility relocations and other factors that were out of their control."

Greeley said that extension brought the completion date from mid-summer 2012 into January, 2013. 

"In recent weeks, the (Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo) and others have increasingly voiced their concerns to us about carrying this construction through another summer season," Greeley said. "Seeking to be responsive to these legitimate concerns, we sat down with our contractor in order to find a way to get this project back on the original schedule, or as close to it as possible."

The contractor's work schedule including allowable work hours and lane closure hours have been adjusted and more resources will be devoted to expedite the construction.

"There is also a performance-based incentive involved," Greeley explained. "Quite often in our contracts, the department will use financial incentives to get a contractor to complete work ahead of schedule - tied to that are liquidated damages, which are included in contracts to penalize contractors who fail to meet contractual schedules."

During the third and final construction stage the contractor will:

• Shift Route 35 northbound to the new alignment.

• Make improvements to the Route 36 westbound ramp to Route 35 northbound.

• Construct a new loop ramp to connect Route 36 eastbound traffic to Route 35 northbound.

• Complete final median, sidewalk, surface pavement work and drainage throughout the project limits.

For more information on the project, click .