ABERDEEN – A resident of Lloyd Road has expressed concern for the safety of motorists and pedestrians after years of road maintenance work left a small portion of the road uneven.
That was the assessment offered on Nov. 21 by Angelo Grillo, a Lloyd Road resident who said he sees vehicles “go up in the air and crash down to the ground” traveling over what he said is the result of sub-par road restoration efforts.
Grillo said contractors are “constantly digging” in the same area on Lloyd Road when they need to reach and repair damaged water pipes.
After the underground work has been completed, he said, a crew restores the road using a contractor grade blacktop as a temporary repair. Grillo said rocks in the pavement gradually become dislodged as motorists travel on the road.
He said constant maintenance to the same area has resulted in what he called a dangerous speed bump that motorists cannot see as they make their way over a hill and travel down Lloyd Road.
“Literally, (construction workers) put the world’s largest speed bump in front of my house,” Grillo said. “This takes a dangerous street and makes it a lot more dangerous.”
He said that in an effort to avoid the bump, some drivers who know the pavement is uneven, move left and enter a lane where a vehicle could be heading toward them. Motorists who are not familiar with the road get an unwelcome surprise when they hit the bump, he said.
“This problem exists every hour. You can feel the house shake,” Grillo said, adding that vehicles and large trucks have come “crashing down” after driving over the uneven pavement.
Grilo said his neighbors concur with his concerns.
Lloyd Road is under the jurisdiction of Monmouth County and Grillo suggested county officials should address the matter by “patching the road to be the same level” as the rest of the street.
In response to an inquiry made by the Independent, Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas Arnone said on Nov. 21 that there are no records of complaints filed by residents that pertain to uneven pavement on Lloyd Road.
“The Department of Public Works and Engineering will be looking into this complaint immediately and has sent an inspector this afternoon to determine the appropriate course of action,” Arnone said.
Later that day, Grillo reported that white markings had been painted on the area of Lloyd Road that is uneven. He said he hopes the markings indicate county officials will be taking further action to address the road issue.