Russ Zimmer

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Route 35, which was torn asunder by Sandy's storm surge, cost $341 million to reconstruct — $78 million more than what was budgeted

The Asbury Park Press reported earlier how complications over utilities drove up costs and contributed to major construction delays, costing taxpayers plenty.

A review of newly released documents shows how design costs — while a relatively small part of the budget — were nearly three times what was expected.

Rebuilding Route 35 was one of the most expensive road projects in state history — costing $78 million more than originally planned — but forget about the asphalt and steam rollers for a moment: The behind-the-scenes office work on the project ended up costing nearly triple what was originally budgeted, according to project documents obtained by the Asbury Park Press.

In fact, the unexpected expenses alone on non-construction costs — design, utility, engineering and inspection work — was $25.1 million, or about $1 million more than Ocean County budgeted to spend on all of its road and bridges this year.

What decisions and priorities led to these extra costs is squarely at the heart of the debate over raising New Jersey's gasoline tax that helps cover the state's share of projects like Route 35, which cost an average of $27.3 million for each of the 12.5 miles of reconstruction.

After all, critics say, why should New Jerseyans pay more at the pump if they can't trust the state to spend it efficiently?

Legislation that would boost the tax by 23 cents a gallon won lawmakers' approval Friday in Trenton.

"We can clearly see New Jersey does not have a revenue problem, but rather a spending problem," wrote Erica Jedynak, state director of the conservative Americans for Prosperity, in a June letter to state lawmakers.

Previously, a Press investigation detailed how construction costs on Route 35 skyrocketed due to work stoppages caused by the jumble of utilities under the Sandy-wrecked road.

READ THE APP'S INVESTIGATION: Route 35 boondoggle

That investigation showed how the state set out an aggressive timeline in order to quickly restore the primary artery on Ocean County's northern barrier island — home to fewer than 7,000 people but some of the most valuable real estate in the state — only to have the project run over budget and behind schedule.

Work was to be completed by May 2015, but the project wrapped up a year late and at a total cost of $341 million, or 30 percent past the original budget.

Watch the video above for an aerial view of what the completed Route 35 looks like.

Haste was no friend of the taxpayer. For expediency's sake, the state skipped much of the subsurface testing that it would normally do, instead choosing to rely on maps from municipalities and the utility companies. This backfired when contractors peeled back what was left of the old roadway and found those maps to be wildly inaccurate

Change orders obtained by the Press through an Open Public Records Act request showed $53 million in additional payments to the general contractors on the job.

Now, additional project documents show that while design costs were budgeted for $7.8 million, their final sum was $21.5 million, or nearly triple.

Rebuilding Route 35 was "the most-comprehensive and complex emergency road reconstruction in New Jersey’s history" as well as one of the most scrutinized by government watchdogs, said New Jersey Department of Transportation spokesman Steve Schapiro in a response to questions from the Press.

"It was done as quickly and efficiently as possible despite variables that were uncontrollable and impossible to foresee, in order to restore public safety for tens of thousands of Sandy-ravaged residents, renters, and small business owners who rely on Route 35 as their lifeline and their connection to hospitals, groceries, and stores," he said.

The transportation department objects to even characterizing the additional spending as "cost overruns" because the work was unforeseen and thus not budgeted for.

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The prime consultants for the project, Parsons Transportation Group, the RBA Group (now known as NV5) and McCormick Taylor — the companies that were brought in to assist in the planning — all declined to speak to the Asbury Park Press about their experience on the project, saying that they did not have permission to comment from their clients, the state of New Jersey,

The Press was also rebuffed by Aurora and Associates, which coordinated and advised on utility matters.

Before Sandy hit, work was about to begin on the northern end of the Route 35 construction zone, from Mantoloking through Bay Head.

But after the near-complete inundation of the entire barrier island completely wrecked the road, those original plans had to be scuttled so that a restoration project could take it's place, according to Schapiro.

And this isn't just any road:

The pavement is built to last 50 years and was designed with one eye toward ride quality and the other toward improved stormwater drainage.

The drainage has been engineered to handle all but the most powerful storms.

Miles of dedicated bicycle lanes have been added as well as a continuous sidewalk on the northbound side of the road.

Nearly 74 miles of new gas, sewer and water pipe was laid underneath the roadway.

That plan wasn't cheap: $263 million was budgeted, with the federal government picking up 80 percent of the bill. Eventually, the total charges would grow to $341.3 million, due mostly to unanticipated delays caused by utilities.

Schapiro once again defended the department, saying that it acted quickly with what it believed was the best information available.

"The maps provided by the municipalities and utilities did not show the full extent of what was underground," he told the Press. "There were abandoned pipes that were not on any maps, non-standard construction in which sewer pipes had been drilled through drainage pipes, and old piles from docks. In addition, drainage, water, and sewage lines were found in places that were different than indicated on the plans.

"When contractors came across pipes that were not on any plans, they had to stop work and call the various utilities to find out what it was – was it gas, water, or sewer? Was it an active utility or an abandoned one? If it was an active gas line or water pipe, it would have to be safely shut off before construction activities could continue."

State transportation commissioner Richard Hammer made the state's case during his confirmation hearing this summer:

At one point early on, the project was put on ice for months, and at great expense to taxpayers — $18.3 million for contractor George Harms Construction Co. to stick around, but not work — so that the New Jersey Natural Gas wouldn't have to come back and shut down the road later for additional, redundant work, Schapiro said.

"The extent of damage and scope of (NJNG’s) replacement project was greater than had been indicated during the planning of the project," he said. "NJNG made the decision after the Route 35 project was underway that it needed to replace all its gas lines under the northbound lanes. The department agreed to let NJNG place new lines even though it affected the contractor’s work because it was in the public’s best interest."

The federal government blessed all of these extra costs: Only $4.7 million of the project — the cost to press pause during the 2014 summer after pressure from residents and businesses on the island — did the Federal Highway Administration refuse to pay a portion.

And the NJDOT has been getting reimbursed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's disaster grant.

As of last month, the state had been reimbursed for all but $17.5 million and that is expected to come down even further, meaning the federal taxpayer is on the hook for lion's share of the unplanned charges.

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Russ Zimmer: 732-557-5748, razimmer@app.com