Just one day after lifting a suspension for all New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) construction and design projects, the hold is back on for about 100 design and planning projects.
Late Tuesday, NJDOT Commissioner James Simpson put a hold on projects that are in the early phases of planning and development, stating:
We are taking the prudent step of extending the hold on early planning and design work at least until the bond sale and refinancing plan is executed. We will use this time to conduct a cost-benefit review of each of these proposals.
Impacted by the latest hold are hundreds of engineers, designers and allied workers.
The future of the ARC Tunnel project is still uncertain. Although Governor Chris Christie is on the campaign trail, he is expected to discuss the project with transit officials today, and a decision is expected by the end of this week or next week.
Cohen Seglias remains committed to monitoring and reporting on emerging developments in this story.