Work on Route 18
scheduled to begin
BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer
This summer’s repaving of a stretch of Route 18 in New Brunswick will commence as planned, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The standard resurfacing is scheduled to begin in early August and the work should take less than a month to complete, DOT spokesman Joe Fiordaliso confirmed last week.
The repaving will take place along the stretch of Route 18 between the Albany Street bridge and the John A. Lynch Sr. Bridge, which extends over the Raritan River between New Brunswick and Piscataway.
The project is designed to improve traveling conditions significantly, Fiordaliso said.
"The smoother road surface is not only safer, but it’s going to improve traffic flow," he noted.
The construction will take place mostly at night in order to prevent any inconvenience to commuters, according to the DOT. Although there will be lane closures, at least one lane on both sides of the state highway will be open at all times during construction. That stretch of the highway has two northbound lanes and two southbound lanes.
The effort to improve the busy highway will not stop there, according to Fiordaliso.
August’s repaving will complement what he described as the "next big thing," a larger road rehabilitation project known as the "18 2F" project, tentatively scheduled for next summer. That project will focus on a larger section of Route 18 to the south of this summer’s work area.
"That’s the challenge we face in New Jersey. We’ve got a highway system that’s some of the oldest infrastructure in the country because New Jersey was one of the first industrialized states," he said.
The state was in the process of reviewing bids for the August project. According to Fiordaliso, the "18 2F" project will be awarded in early 2005.