MILLSTONE: State grant sought to repair Stillhouse Road

By David Kilby, Special Writer
   MILLSTONE — Stillhouse Road may be getting some overdue repairs now that the township has applied for a state grant to fix one of the township’s main connector roads.
   The Millstone Township Committee on Oct. 17 approved a grant application seeking state funds for the repair work. The township is seeking $220,000 from state Department of Transportation for the project, which is estimated to cost about $273,000. The township would pay the remaining $53,000.
   If received, the grant would come from funds made available through the Transportation Trust Fund Authority Act.
   Stillhouse Road connects to Sweetmans Lane to the north and Stage Coach Road (Route 524) to the south. It provides north and south access to the township and connects agricultural farmland, the grant application states.
   Stillhouse Road is also a main connector road for a handful of schools and other communities in Millstone. Local travelers use Stillhouse Road to get to St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, located near Sweetmans Lane; Millstone Township Middle School, which is located along Baird Road near the intersection with Stillhouse Road; and Millstone Township Elementary School, which is located on Backbone Hill Road near its intersection with Stillhouse Road.
   The grant would be used to make subsurface repairs, and fix overlay and drainage problems, said Tom Antus, township administrator.
   The proposed partial reconstruction and drainage improvements would eliminate multiple areas where pavement failure, roadside erosion and ponding water have become a problem, reads the application.
   The project would also include minor widening, resurfacing, and partial reconstruction of the road. Base pavement repair is proposed in locations where the existing base pavement has failed and caused cracking and potholes.
   All work will be coordinated with the respective utility companies to ensure that utility restoration or relocation will be implemented prior to construction, according to the grant application.
   Mr. Antus said the township won’t know for months whether the grant has been approved but hopes to receive the funds for the 2013 budget uear.
   Mayor Nancy Grbelja said the township tries to get as much grant money as it can to keep Millstone’s roads in tip-top condition.
   ”When we see that there’s available funding we try to take advantage of it,” she said.
   The mayor added that the township is especially looking for grants to repair damage to Stillhouse Road caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011.