Hillsborough Township Mayor Frank DelCore announced that road paving work is set to begin in June.
The announcement came from the mayor following a unanimous decision from the township committee to pass a resolution that awarded a contract for the “2019 Capital Roadway Resurfacing” to Top Line Construction Corporation at a meeting on May 14.
As part of the resolution, the costs for the work are not to exceed $2.58 million.
The resolution helps kick start the program as the municipality prepares to move forward with its road paving plan as part of a $8.5 million bond the township received last year aimed to enhance its aging infrastructure.
Township officials said they are committed to maintain a five-year roadway plan with 14 roadways, totaling over 20 miles, having already been repaved.
Township officials said that this work is necessary given that the town’s infrastructure has been compromised by severe weather, freeze and thaw, and resulted in the issuance of bonds to fund this major paving initiative.
“I’m very pleased to announce that the first phase of our roadway improvement program, which was announced a couple months ago, will soon start,” Mayor DelCore announced. “Clawson Avenue, Riverside Drive, South Triangle Road, Raider Boulevard, Euclid Avenue, Wertsville Road, Cardinal Lane and Wescott Road were all part of a bid where we went out to have all that work done.
“We received the bids back, and we do expect now to award that contract tonight for this paving work. We do expect to begin some of that road paving project to begin within the next month,” DelCore reported.
According to the municipality, the following roadways are planned for the 2019 paving program:
Willow Road, Phase 1 (between Amwell Road and Valinor Drive); Euclid Avenue; Riverside Drive (between River Road and Clawson Avenue); Clawson Avenue; Wertsville Road (between Long Hill Road and Montgomery Road); Raider Boulevard (between Route 206 and Stryker Lane); South Triangle Road; Cardinal Lane; Wescott Road (between South Branch Road and Amwell Road).
Although these roads are listed and planned to receive work, township officials said that the timeline for completion of this project is subject to requirements per the township and the company who receives the contract.
In addition to paving, township officials said there will be several areas that are planned to receive “high performance chip seal.” Officials said that the high-performance chip seal, essentially oil and chip, provides a stress-absorbing membrane type of surface treatment which creates a highly durable wearing surface.
Furthermore, officials said that the asphalt rubber (chip seal) reduces reflective cracking, waterproofs and seals cracks and imperfections of aging pavement, flexes with pavement in extreme temperature fluctuations, and offers a more rapid construction, which they anticipate to allow traffic to return to normal flows with less delay. More importantly for residents, officials said that the product is durable over time and cost effective.
According to township officials, roadway improvement projects are more costly than in the past as a result of mandated ADA requirements and NJDEP Stormwater Regulations.
Officials reported that these mandates, while increasing project costs between 6 and 10%, are anticipated to improve the overall quality of life of Hillsborough residents.
Officials said that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements will be met as handicap ramps will be provided to result in to better access and mobility for handicapped residents.
According to the municipality, the stormwater catch basins retrofits meet the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s requirements and also contribute significantly to achieving the township’s sustainability goals, enabling the township to be certified at the Silver Level by Sustainable Jersey.