Bridgewater 'on track' in 5-year, $40 million road improvement plan
BRIDGEWATER - At its halfway point, the five-year, $40 million plan to fix and upgrade township roads has been "very successful," Township Engineer Bill Burr told the Township Council on Thursday.
Two years ago, the township made a commitment to upgrade nearly half of Bridgewater's 630 roads. In the first two years of the plan, 124 roads have been improved.
And Burr said the township is making good on that commitment.
"We're on track to hit the goal," Burr said.
In 2022, the township completed work on 45 of the 57 roads targeted for work, he said.
The remaining work was delayed by the onset of winter weather and will be completed in the spring, he said.
"It's never good to pave roads in the cold," he said.
Burr estimated the township is focusing on improving 50 to 70 roads in 2023.
As in past years, the projects will bundled together in six regions of the township to save money, the engineer explained.
Burr emphasized that the list of road projects may change once cost estimates are made.
Targeted this year will be the Fulton Avenue neighborhood in the Finderne section; the Hancock Avenue neighborhood in the Bradley Gardens section; Rolling Hills, Foxcroft and Spring Valley neighborhood in the Country Club Road corridor; Peachtree and other roads in the Sunset Lake area; the Timberline Drive neighborhood in the Martinsville area; several roads in the Green Knoll neighborhood and the Mayflower Court, Loft Drive area also in the Martinsville section.
Burr said there was no time to waste in getting the engineering work started so the township can go out for bid and have the projects completed by the start of next winter.
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The township developed the five-year plan after a survey of all the roads in the township, which ranked the roads in the best and worst shape.
The township is "constantly" evaluating the roads and investigating complaints from residents," Burr said.
Once the list of road projects is finalized, residents can find the full listing at www.OurBWRoads.com.
The township is working closely with New Jersey American Water and PSE&G to coordinate road work with the utilities' replacement of aging lines, Burr said.
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Councilman Howard Norgalis endorsed the program.
"We made a commitment and we're going to keep it," he said.
"Our data-driven, concerted, multi-year effort is showing inarguable results," Mayor Matt Moench said in a statement after the meeting. "We are transforming Bridgewater’s infrastructure before our eyes.”
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
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.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Bridgewater 'on track' in 5-year, $40 million road improvement plan
