By VASHTI HARRIS
Staff Writer
MATAWAN – The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) will allow the Borough of Matawan to fix its water main during the reconstruction of Route 34 in the fall of 2020.
The NJDOT is currently in the preliminary stages for the repaving Route 34, according to the Borough Administrator Louis Ferrara.
“In a recent meeting with the NJDOT, we asked if it were possible that while they have the road open for repaving many years from now could we make changes to our water main in the area of Route 34 and Broad Street. We have two water main pipes on Route 34 and our intention is changing from one to the other, simply put. Doing it while the state project is being done will save the borough the cost of traffic control and the opening and closing of the road,” Ferrara said.
The estimated date of construction is the fall of 2020, according to a NJDOT prepared statement.
On April 18 during the Borough Council’s monthly meeting at the Matawan Municipal Community Center, Jeff Fedorchak, from Remington and Vernick Engineers, the borough’s consulting engineering firm, explained that the NJDOT will hold two upcoming meeting to inform the residents about the re-pavement plans.
Both of the NJDOT’s public information centers will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. The first public information center was scheduled for April 25 at Colts Neck Town Hall, which is located on 124 Cedar Drive.
The second public information center is slated on May 2 in the Aberdeen Township Community Center at 651 Prospect Ave., according to a NJDOT prepared statement.
During the borough council meeting, Ferrara also give the council updates on the status of the recycling center upcoming to the borough.
Currently the borough’s recycling is picked up on the curbside by its trash contractor, however, the borough wants to develop a drop-off recycling facility for its residents, according to Ferrara.
“The borough was very fortunate to receive a recycling grant for its residents excellent cooperation with state regulations regarding recycling carried out by our recycling coordinator. In addition to a $10,000 grant, other funds received for recycling known as tonnage grants will allow the borough to create its own recycling facility for residents who do not wish to wait for weekly pickup. Mayor and council has decided to contribute to the funds already collected to make up the difference for the project by municipal bonding,” Ferrara said.
The borough contracted with Maser Engineering to do a feasibility study for the potential development of a public drop-off recycling facility for borough, according to Ferrara.
“The area subject to investigation is borough property located north of the unimproved portion of North Street. The subject property currently contains a sanitary sewer pump station equipment storage area temporarily leaf storage site and abandoned structures that were associated with the long since abandoned wastewater treatment plant the site is located adjacent to Matawan Creek,” Ferrara said.
As part of the feasibility study, the borough asked the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) if certain DEP permits were necessary. During the council meeting, Ferrara announced that the DEP has informed the borough that the permits in question are not necessary.
The borough hopes to be able to open the recycling center by some time this year, according to the Administrator’s Assistant, Grace Rainforth.
For more information about the New Jersey Department of Transportation upcoming Public Information Centers visit www.state.nj.us/transportation/ or call 609-530-2110.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].