SAYREVILLE — The ongoing improvements being made to Ernston Road may be complete as soon as Labor Day if expected repairs go as scheduled.
A scheduled closure Aug. 28 shut down all four legs of the intersection at Ernston Road and Bordentown Avenue, which has been under repair since April 23. This is expected to be the final step in this stage of construction, according to Sayreville Borough Engineer Jay Cornell.
“This will allow for the interconnection from the Perth Amboy water line to the new line,” Cornell said at the Aug. 27 Borough Council meeting. “That’s one of the last remaining items that has to be done, that’s been preventing it from being opened.”
The intersection was scheduled to reopen June 8, but an extension of time was granted in late May to allow for multiple alterations, further pushing off the road’s reopening. After the water line interconnection, the roadway will once again be accessible for motorists.
However, Cornell said that the road will eventually have to be closed again in order to install a new railroad bridge.
“There will be periods to close the roads to set the bridge in place,” Cornell said.
The bridge is built and ready to be installed, but the borough is waiting for permission from Conrail to begin work.
“Conrail has not given approval to the procedures,” Cornell said. “The bridge has been fabricated and in a shop for three months, but they won’t bring it in.”
Cornell said that there have been many calls placed and requests to expedite permission to begin installing the new bridge, but they have yet to receive a response.