Politics & Government

Fernandez and Shehady Write Letter to DOT Concerning Flood Causes

Request meeting with DOT over solutions.

Springfield Township Committee member Jerry Fernandez and former Mayor Ziad Shehady have written to the state’s Department of Transportation to address possible causes of flooding near Route 124 and Morris Ave.

In the letter, Fernandez and Shehady note that comparable heavy rainfall in past storms have not had the same flooding effect. They isolate three possible causes for the flood:

  • The Morris Avenue bridge near Washington Avenue. The bridge spans the Rahway River at the border of Springfield and Union. Shehady and Fernandez contest that the bridge is too low and ask that a project proposed to raise the bridge needs to completed.
  • Millburn floodgates. Shehady and Fernandez believe that when Millburn opened up their floodgates prior to the storm it may have contributed to the unusual amount of flowing in the Rahway.
  • Lax maintenance of the drainage system on I-78. Shehady and Fernandez suspect obstacles or sediment blocked the highway’s drainage system when storm hit. 

Shehady and Fernandez have requested a meeting with the DOT to resolve the issues. The full letter is . 

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