New QuickChek opening in Somerset County. Here's where

BRANCHBURG – The township will be getting its second QuickChek.

The township Planning Board on Tuesday unanimously approved a proposal to build the convenience store and gas station at the corner of Old York Road and Route 202 across from police headquarters. The other QuickChek in the township is on Route 28 in the North Branch section.

The Planning Board will separately consider a proposal to build an Aldi grocery store next to the QuickChek.

Complicating and delaying the approval of QuickChek were plans recently unveiled by the state Department of Transportation to make changes to both Route 202 and the intersection to improve traffic flow at one of the most congested intersections in Branchburg. The location of the QuickChek was moved 22 feet back from the new Route 202 right-of-way to meet the zoning setback requirements.

"The state got caught flat-footed," said Panning Board Member Laurel Truppi, adding the DOT is "playing catch-up" with the development in the Route 202 corridor in Somerset and Hunterdon counties.

Branchburg 202 LLC, the developer of the property, will be paying its "fair share" of the improvements, which includes adding a third lane to the highway at the intersection, according to the applicant.

The approval came after a series of hearings that started last year."This is a really, really good plan," John McDonough, planner for the developer, told the Planning Board.

McDonough said the final plan was the result of an "interactive process" between the developer and township officials to agree on a proposal that substantially complies with the zoning of the site.

More: Expect traffic delays on Route 202 through Somerset County for months, DOT says

"We've landed in a good spot," he said, adding the site is "prime for development."

The QuickChek would become the only convenience store on northbound Route 202 between Wawa in Readington and 7-Eleven in Raritan Borough.

Included in the approval were a stormwater drainage system and sanitary sewer system to serve the entire lot for both the QuickChek and Aldi.

The 5,670-square-foot convenience store and gas station will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The store will employ about 40 to 50 people, with 30 to 40 new jobs created.

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Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: QuickChek to open in Branchburg NJ on Route 202