South Brunswick Road Improvements Ongoing

Various roads throughout South Brunswick will be getting a much needed face lift throughout the rest of the summer. The $350,000 capital improvement project will treat eight roadways in need of repaving or milling.

"Some of these roads are in poor condition and haven't been resurfaced in 15 to 16 years because we didn't have the budget for it," said Public Affairs Coordinator Ron Schmalz. "We've been filling in potholes, but the surface of the blacktop starts to break down and needs to be resurfaced."

At last night's Township Council meeting, councilman Charles Carley said the roads in Dayton were a particular concern.

"I'm not a Dayton resident, but when you drive through Dayton in some of the older high-density neighborhoods, there's a lot of chewy roads," he said.

The project will be handled mostly in house by the Public Works Department, however a few roads that involve curbing and storm sewer issues will have to go out to bid. Road improvement projects that necessitate milling, where the top of the pavement is stripped by 3-4 inches before the new pavement is laid down, will be handled by the county, for a savings of approximately $38,000, according to Schmalz.

"We're fine doing the overlay but we don't have equipment in house to do milling work," Schmalz said. 

The township is working to get as many road improvement projects as possible completed this year, before a new mandate from the American Disability Association requires any new sidewalk or paving projects to be disability compliant.

"Once that goes into affect there's going to be more bureaucratic red tape, and it will take longer to do the projects and get approvals, so we want to do as much as we can before it goes into affect," Schmalz said.

Work to Stouts Lane and Perrine Road have already been compeleted, Schmalz said.

The tentative schedule for road improvements is as follows (weather permitting):

• Riva Ave.: July 27-28
• Fresh Ponds Road: July 28-Aug. 4
• Blackhorse Lane: Aug. 5
• Stanley Ave.: TBD
• Lincoln Lane: TBD
• Qunicy Circle: TBD

Comments: What other roads in South Brunswick are in need of improvement?