I-80 Sinkhole Crisis Exposes Gaps in Infrastructure Oversight, Urges Swift Legislative Action

MORRIS COUNTY — The I-80 collapse, which shut down lanes for months and caused major disruptions across western Morris and Sussex counties, has been traced to long-abandoned mine activity beneath the highway. Dunn noted that New Jersey is home to nearly 600 abandoned mines, with an estimated 10% near state roads, yet the public can’t access basic information about them online.

“Even now, if you go to the Department of Environmental Protection’s website to learn more about our mines … guess what the message says if you Google it, if you go to the website right now? Page not found. I think that says a lot, doesn’t it?” she said.
Dunn emphasized that the crisis was not abstract. It affected her constituents daily.
“I was on the ground throughout this process, talking to residents who could not get to work, parents rerouting their kids to school and activities, and about the countless missed and canceled appointments. Businesses were severely impacted. This has been a lived crisis for my community,” Dunn said.

She called for a centralized mine mapping and monitoring system, data-sharing across agencies, and the creation of early warning systems to prevent future emergencies.
“The state’s approach to mine safety so far has been neither comprehensive nor consistent. It has been fragmented, outdated, and reactive,” she said. “The closure alone cost the state an estimated $200,000 per day. So we are north of $25 million, not including the law enforcement costs to address this crisis. As stewards of public funds, we have to act now because failing to plan will only cost more, not just in dollars but in public confidence.”Dunn concluded with a bipartisan appeal.

“This isn’t a partisan issue. I feel good we found one nonpartisan that we could all get around,” she said. “So as we pave the nation’s corridor, know that together we are paving a path to a more unified, prepared, and resilient New Jersey.”