CHESTERFIELD: Road closures impacting township

By Christina Whittington, Special Writer
   CHESTERFIELD — At the July 11 Township Committee meeting, members discussed two construction projects impacting local traffic flow in Chesterfield.
   The first is the closure of Ward Avenue.
   As previously reported in the Register-News, the New Jersey Turnpike has constructed a new overpass for Ward Avenue. The overpass is longer to accommodate the widening of the turnpike, which is impacting several New Jersey towns.
   However, the demolition of the old overpass, in addition to new paving part of Ward Avenue, still needs to be completed.
   Ward Avenue was closed on July 11 for the construction project to begin.
   The project was originally scheduled to begin on July 2. Noteworthy, that date was postponed ahead of Independence Day.
   ”We decided to keep Ward Avenue open for the Fourth of July holiday, which postponed the closure by a week,” Township Engineer Christopher Trebisky said.
   Ward Avenue is scheduled to reopen on Sept. 1.
   As for the second construction project, Mr. Trebisky said that Mansfield Township had requested for part of Chesterfield-Georgetown Road, in Chesterfield, to be closed between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. for two weeks to accommodate road work taking place nearby. Mansfield is reconstructing the road from the township line to the intersection of Chesterfield-Georgetown Road and Georgetown Road-Herman Black Road into Chesterfield.
   According to Mr. Trebisky, the portion of Chesterfield-Georgetown Road, in Mansfield, is located approximately 1,400 feet from the Chesterfield border.
   ”The process (that Mansfield Township is) doing to reconstruct the road does take time, so the two week timeframe seems reasonable,” stated Mr. Trebisky.
   The partial road closure of Georgetown Road in Chesterfield Township went into effect on July 16.
   A detour is set to run through Chesterfield on White Pine Road.
   ”The detour will effect us,” stated Chesterfield Township Police Chief Kyle Wilson.
   The work is scheduled to be completed July 27.
   ”Barring any weather delays, we should be good for the (July) 27,” stated Mr. Trebisky.
   The next township committee meeting is scheduled for Aug. 8.