Home Care In Wharton, NJ

WHARTON, New Jersey (WABC) -- Sinkholes have plagued I-80 in Morris County, New Jersey in recent months, and now there's more bad news for drivers who use the busy highway.

Westbound lanes through Wharton were supposed reopen this weekend, however, officials announced on Friday that they found a problem underneath the roadway.

They say a significant void under the left lane of I-80 westbound will require all westbound lanes to remain closed and detoured at Exit 34B until it is repaired.

The lanes will remain closed for the next five weeks, while the eastbound lanes will be closed for about seven weeks.

Officials say there will be two separate crews working simultaneously, one on the eastbound side and one on the westbound side, to expedite repairs.

"As we continue to work 24/7 to repair I-80, unfortunately, testing revealed another significant void in the left lane of I-80 westbound," New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said. "As we have said since these issues began, safety is our top priority and we must ensure that the roadway is safe for motorists before we can reopen."

The busy highway has been plagued with sinkholes since December because of old mine shafts that run beneath it.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Over the last six weeks, several sinkholes have opened up on Interstate 80 in Wharton, closing both sides of the highway and frustrating commuters, locals and businesses with detours and heavy traffic. The voids, in both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 80, are believed to have been caused by abandoned mines, which are scattered underneath several surrounding towns.

In what has been a lengthy and costly process so far, engineers and construction crews have been working around the clock to repair and reopen the roads.

In a visit to the site on Saturday with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, Gov. Phil Murphy said the eastbound side of the highway is expected to remain closed for another six to eight weeks. The westbound side is expected to reopen more quickly, with two lanes ready in about a week, the governor said.

"This is a massive artery that can't be shut down," Duffy said. "So everyone is working to figure out what solution we need so we can open this up. As the situation evolves, we're all assessing where we are at and what is the best response."

How much are sinkhole repairs expected to cost?

On Monday, the New Jersey Transportation Department said it is too soon to provide an estimate on the cost of the repairs. However, Murphy said Saturday that the work is costing $150,000 per day. Over the course of eight weeks, that adds up to more than $8 million. The number does not consider the previous month of work or the possibility that the repairs end up taking longer than expected.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Transportation Department did not immediately provide additional information on the cost or funding of repairs.

Will New Jersey receive federal aid to fund sinkhole repairs?

Duffy and Murphy also said Saturday that federal, state and local officials are working together to fund the repairs.

Two weeks earlier, the governor declared a state of emergency in Morris County, potentially expediting the repairs and allowing the state to apply for funding through the Federal Highway Administration. Emergency relief funding can be granted by the highway administration if a road has suffered serious damage as a result of a natural disaster or a catastrophic failure from an external cause.

“For several weeks now, the residents of Wharton and commuters all across New Jersey have endured major delays and disruptions as a result of the sinkholes that have opened up here on I-80,” Murphy said on March 8. “By declaring a state of emergency in Morris County, we can take the first step toward accessing federal funding to help us to repair this damage."

The state Transportation Department said Monday that it is continuing to work with its U.S. counterpart and the highway administration on emergency assistance.

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REAL ESTATE

4-minute read

NorthJersey.com

WHARTON — As a series of sinkholes slowly closed the eastbound and westbound lanes of Route 80 in the borough, residents of a nearby apartment complex say they are concerned for their safety.

Alexandra Lawler, who lives in the Avalon Wharton apartment complex with her boyfriend, said they began noticing cracks and fractures throughout their building after the sinkholes started to appear on the interstate highway. There are cracks around doorways, elevator entrances and staircases, as well as visible gaps between the walls and floor, she said.

Many other residents of the apartment complex have echoed these concerns on social media, particularly on TikTok and X, where they've shared photos and videos of the state of the building, as well as their interactions with the building's management.

"A majority of these cracks were not here until the second sinkhole actually formed," Lawler said. "Once the second sinkhole happened, everything got way worse. There were more cracks showing, and definitely larger cracks, and now they're just getting worse as time goes on."

The building — located just several hundred feet south of the sinkhole zone — is situated above the abandoned Mount Pleasant Mine found 120 feet below ground, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection's GPS-based mapping system. This is just one of nearly 600 abandoned mines throughout the state, with more than 100 located in Morris County.

While a cause has yet to be determined for the most recent sinkholes that developed in the last two months, the initial sinkhole that closed Route 80 for four days in December was said to be caused by an abandoned mineshaft beneath the highway. Because of this and the ongoing repair work, Lawler said they're worried that the property isn't structurally safe.

"The fact that this was built on top of an abandoned mine shaft, even if there are things that have been there before, this could have been an issue that's been going on for a bit now and it's just gradually getting worse, especially with the construction that's happening on the highway," Lawler said.

Throughout March, three inspections were conducted of the Avalon Wharton apartment complex, one by the Wharton Construction Department on March 6 at the direction of the state Department of Community Affairs. The inspection findings say there are no signs of the structure being at risk.

The other two inspections were completed by third-party experts — Bowman Consulting Group on March 8 and Veitas Engineers on March 10 — consulted by AvalonBay Communities, the Virginia-based owner of the complex and among the nation's largest owners of apartments.

The results from both inspections indicate the wear and cracks in the building do not appear to be recently developed — despite claims from residents that they are — and are consistent with what is expected from a building of this age and construction type, reads an AvalonBay Communities email to residents on March 19, which was obtained by NorthJersey.com.

While plans for more inspections have not been announced, the real estate company said it plans to consult a geotechnical engineer to review the site conditions as they were when the building was constructed in 2012, as well as compare the new survey data of the property to its original conditions. The full inspection reports are also available for residents to view in the building's leasing office.

"In response to the recent sinkholes on I-80, we engaged third-party experts and structural engineers to conduct comprehensive inspections of the property to ensure our residents' continued safety and peace of mind, which remains our top priority," a spokesperson for AvalonBay Communities said via a statement.

"These inspections were done by reputable, independent firms and the reports showed that the building has not experienced any concerning movement or settlement. Both reports were submitted to the Wharton Construction Department and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA)," reads the spokesperson's statement.

Wharton Mayor Bill Chegwidden and Gov. Phil Murphy have also reiterated that residents shouldn't worry about the building's safety, given the results of these inspections.

Despite Avalon Wharton being given a clean bill of health from outside experts and local officials, some residents say they don't believe the results are reliable, citing a potential conflict of interest.

On a webpage that has since been deleted — but can be accessed through the Internet Archive — Bowman Consulting Group said they provided surveys and site plans, conducted a traffic study and obtained all necessary permits for the site of Avalon Wharton when it was in its initial stages. And Veitas Engineers has several projects from AvalonBay Communities listed on its website.

"I don't trust it. I don't believe the people who planned how this building was going to be built, especially on top of an abandoned mine shaft," Lawler said. "I don't trust that they're going to admit fault in what they did. Because if anything happens, they would be part of the blame."

Similarly, residents are hesitant about the real estate company's reliability due to its past involvement in several controversial incidents. This includes a rent battle in Hoboken, where they had been issuing annual rent increases by 20% or more, and the aftermath of a major fire at their complex in Edgewater.

"I think we're being blown off. And I don't think the building is going to collapse tomorrow. It could collapse, or it could get worse within maybe three years," Lawler said. "But knowing how Avalon works and operates, they're probably trying to get as much profit as they can before they have to possibly condemn the building. So that's why I really don't trust them."

Maddie McGay is the real estate reporter for NorthJersey.com and The Record, covering all things worth celebrating about living in North Jersey. Find her on Instagram @maddiemcgay, on X @maddiemcgayy, and sign up for her North Jersey Living newsletter. Do you have a tip, trend or terrific house she should know about? Email her at [email protected].

1-minute read

NorthJersey.com

Sinkhole repairs on Interstate 80 eastbound in Wharton will continue for approximately seven weeks, and the significant void under the westbound section of I-80 will close the two lanes until early May, according to the latest update from the New Jersey Department of Transportation on Friday.

A significant void was found under the left lane on the westbound section of I-80. The "final design" for the I-80 westbound repairs are expected to be completed next week, and repairs will start after the process is complete, said NJDOT.

"The westbound lanes remain closed, but the NJDOT is advancing a permanent solution on both sides, aiming for completion of the westbound side in 5 weeks and 7 weeks on the eastbound side. Obviously, this is subject to change as the repairs continue,” said Senator Anthony M. Bucco (R-25).

Two separate working crews, one on the eastbound side and one on the westbound side, will work simultaneously to speed up repairs. Crews will remain working 24 hours a day, said NJDOT.

New Jersey Transit is offering a 50% discount on roundtrip travel to anyone impacted by the sinkholes. The discount will remain in affect for the duration of the repairs.

A State of Emergency was declared by Gov. Phil Murphy earlier this month to request federal funding for the highway repairs.

"The good news is the permanent long-term repair on I-80 eastbound is progressing. If no other problems arise, we expect to reopen at least two lanes in the eastbound direction by mid-May,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said.

A web page dedicated to providing updates on repairs to the public is now available on the NJDOT site.

Travel times on detour routes are available on a new page on 511NJ.org.

Eastbound lanes on I-80 in Wharton have been closed from sinkhole damage since early February. A void on the westbound lanes was discovered on March 19 which shut down those lanes.

Since sinkholes began to form a stone’s throw away on I-80, Alexandra Lawler has counted 50 to 60 cracks throughout her Avalon Wharton apartment complex.

She scrolls through pics of them on her phone.

Fractures above doorways, fissures in the concrete on the roof and tiny breaks in the walls. Marks the building owner has insisted don’t appear to be resulting from the sinkholes. The complex is safe, Avalon and town officials say.

Still, the Morris County sinkholes have come steadily. One first opened up on Dec. 27 followed by a second Feb. 10. A third was reported during drilling operations last week. And a fourth opened up on a nearby stretch of I-287 two days later.

According to residents at the 250-unit Avalon building, the cracks have come steadily as well.

“The higher up you go, there’s new cracks forming. Some are getting worse,” 29-year-old Lawler, who lives in Avalon with her boyfriend and a Papillon named Freyja, told NJ Advance Media.

Her boyfriend “has high blood pressure,” Lawler said, of what concerned her the most. “This has been very stressful for him.”

Besides the structural integrity of bustling New Jersey roads amid sinkhole concerns, residents and experts say there is reason to worry for properties and people who live near these gaping holes as well.

Since reports last week of the I-80 issues, the mayor of Wharton has come out to reassure those at the Avalon apartments there that it is safe. NJ Advance Media was also provided the most recent inspection report where third party engineers found no inherent dangers at the property. But many of the hundreds who reside at the complex say their concerns are not being heard, they are dubious of the owner because of past controversial incidents including a rent battle in Hoboken and the aftermath of a fire in Edgewater. And families said they want a deeper investigation for their well-being.

Wharton Mayor William Chegwidden said he would not let people reside at the Avalon building if the structure was at risk.

“I understand the residents' concerns,” he said last week. “However, I want to emphasize that the building has undergone three separate inspections in the past three weeks, and all reports confirm that it is safe for occupancy.”

Virginia-based AvalonBay Communities is among the nation’s largest owners of apartments, with 93,518 units in New Jersey alone.

In the aftermath of a second sinkhole, the Wharton Construction Department conducted an inspection of the building March 6. Because Avalon promised to consult third-party experts, that was followed by a Bowman Consulting Group survey (which the mayor has referred to as a second inspection) on March 8.

Veitas Engineers conducted its own inspection March 10.

AvalonBay Communities, owner of the Avalon Wharton apartments, has told residents not to worry, citing the inspection results. The company also said further monitoring efforts are happening now.

None of the cracks look to have recently formed, AvalonBay said. The company cited third-party inspectors they note revealed those cracks were not new, despite reports from residents.

However, Chegwidden confirmed that an abandoned mineshaft from the late 1800s runs beneath the complex.

Other Avalon residents, like Megan Schmiedhauser and Celena Garrafa, said they are mindful of that fact and are awaiting additional vetting of the situation.

They want Avalon to be transparent throughout the process.

Some residents also highlighted last week that the consultant that did the recent inspection for Avalon has a history with the apartment owner.

Asked by NJ Advance Media about claims over a conflict of interest by some residents and if AvalonBay worked with Bowman Consulting Group and Veitas Engineers when the Wharton complex was first built, the company did not directly respond.

“AvalonBay, like all developers, works with a variety of design and engineering firms at many stages during a property’s construction,” a spokesperson said.

“All third-party inspections have been conducted by reputable licensed professionals and all findings were generated independently to help ensure our residents’ continued safety,” the Avalon spokesperson added. “The Wharton Construction Department, which is licensed by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, also conducted their own inspection.”

Chegwidden said he felt confident given the three assessments.

As of now, the building owner has not announced a new inspection following the third and fourth nearby sinkholes.

All the sinkholes, authorities said, are attributed to collapsing mineshafts which have long been abandoned throughout northern New Jersey, including under the Morris County borough.

The March 10 inspection of Avalon, a copy of which was provided to NJ Advance Media, says Veitas Engineers sought to investigate the four-story light-framed wood building and adjacent five-story precast concrete parking structure to look over conditions after sinkhole collapses.

The report pointed to vertical cracks and bumps on the interior and exterior of the building and parking garage. A total number of cracks was not included.

However, Avalon linked them all to expected loading settlement, shrinkage and general wear. The company said it will make inspection reports available to residents too.

“Nearby construction, quarry blasting and seismic activity over the lifetime of the building can contribute to the appearance of cracking in finish material,” an excerpt from the inspection report reads. “No dangerous conditions were observed, and the current conditions do not pose a risk of collapse.”

The Massachusetts engineering firm noted in its conclusion that “it cannot be assumed that this report identifies all structural conditions.” Specifically, it pointed to conditions beyond Veitas Engineers' area of expertise or those that could be impacted as a result of the ongoing work on the I-80 repairs.

Is building an apartment above a mineshaft inherently a bad idea? With 588 abandoned mines throughout northern New Jersey, the Avalon apartments are far from the only structures built in proximity to these old shafts.

Paul Santi, a professor of geology and geological engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, said last week that if local and state codes are followed — and engineers sign off — it should be safe.

“However, there are certainly differing levels of experience among engineers with these types of hazards, and sometimes even disagreements among those with substantial experience,” Santi said. “To me this underscores the value of having engineering geologists or geological engineers on the team, a category of professionals who are trained specifically in this sort of problem.”

Casey Jones, a geotechnical engineer from Kansas, simply called the prospect of building above an old mineshaft “not ideal.”

He suggested Avalon install crack and vibration monitors to see if there are any changes going forward.

“While it’s true that there is a former mine in the area,” Mayor Chegwidden said Friday, “I want to clarify that the site was remediated prior to the building’s construction. Additionally, multiple agencies, including the NJ Office of Safety Compliance, have inspected and approved the remediation work.”

An AvalonBay spokesperson said when the Wharton building was constructed in 2012, the team worked with geotechnical engineers and third-party experts to “thoroughly examine” the site.

“This comprehensive assessment led to the design and implementation of an underground structural system specifically engineered to address the site conditions,” the company spokesperson said, “including remediation of hazards from abandoned mining activity.”

In light of the recent inspections, Avalon also said engineers recommended the building owner consult a geotechnical engineer to review the site conditions as they were at the time of construction in the early 2010s, “as well as compare the new survey data to the original conditions.”

“Even though when it was built they looked at the stability of soils and everything went fine ... things can change over time,” said Santi, of the Colorado School of Mines.

Not having visited the site nor seen the cracks limits how much Santi could lend his expertise, he said. But considering the apartment was built atop a 120-foot-deep mineshaft closed since 1886, the site should be analyzed again to ensure all former work done is in line with current engineering standards and with modern material, he said.

N.J. senator suggests bussing commuters off gridlocked I-80 after 3rd sinkhole https://t.co/bNyWxKmvVP

— njdotcom (@njdotcom) March 21, 2025

“We actually published a paper ... on how to diagnose different causes of ‘settlement,’" he said, referring to the downward movement or sinking of a structure’s foundation. “What are the clues that you look at to narrow down the possible list of causes for that?”

Patrick Fox, the dean of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology at Ohio University — emphasized that he was not familiar with the specific nuances of the situation at the Avalon apartments either.

“But with how close the apartment building to the where the sinkholes are,” Fox said, “this would be something to investigate. Because you’ve got an area of sinkholes nearby that have occurred and so you would want to check the area all around for other possible problems.”

NJ Advance Media staff writer Larry Higgs contributed to this report.

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Steven Rodas may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky at @stevenrodas.bsky.social.

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