Following is a letter from Pennington’s Mayor Jim Davy. Click here for MercerMe’s previous reporting on this issue.
Dear Pennington Borough Residents and Main Street Businesses:
As you are aware the former BMS site in Hopewell Township to the east of Pennington Borough is currently being developed by BeiGene pharmaceutical company with the construction of new labs.
Cement trucks and tractor trailers have been driving through the Borough on the way to that site for many months now and have resulted in our North/South Main-East/West Delaware traffic signal being knocked down multiple times. Our Chief of Police, has been attempting to resolve this situation.
In order to complete these structures BeiGene has 235 prefab modules arriving at the Philadelphia port to be delivered to the site via supersized transports. These supersized transports range in weight from 7,000 to 105,000 lbs. They range in size from 87 feet long to 150 feet long, 14 feet wide to 17 feet wide, and 15 feet height to 16 feet high. Their proposed route is through Pennington Borough via Route 31 to North Main Street to East Delaware. Their proposed time is every week day from June 5th to August 25th between 9AM – 11:30 AM, with alternate time slots including 1pm-3pm or 6pm – 8pm. Pennington Borough Council and the Mayor have been vehemently objecting to Pennington being the route of these trucks.
As recently as two weeks ago, with the County Engineer’s assistance, we thought we had negotiated an alternate route around Pennington for 231 of these transports, and an after midnight solution for 4 of the transports which need to go through town. However, last week, that alternate route was undermined by the County. Council President Kit Chandler and I appeared before the County Commissioners to express our concerns and to request their help and were rebuffed.
On Friday, BeiGene informed Pennington that, despite our objections and despite identifying a viable route around the borough, they intend to use the route through Pennington. Mercer County Commissioners have confirmed that Pennington cannot prevent them.
We are extremely disappointed with this outcome but we want you to prepare for these transports and expect delays and disruptions along this route.
Sincerely,
Jim Davy
Mayor – Pennington Borough
